The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), in collaboration with the School of Nursing of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), held a health talk under the Healthy Ageing in Public Rental Housing (PRH) Estates programme in Lai Chi Kok Community Hall last month. Under the guidance of a School of Nursing team's professional fitness trainer and AI robots, over 100 elderly tenants from five PRH estates in Kwai Chung exercised together.

     The elderly people who participated in the talk worked out happily to strengthen their muscles with simple exercises under the guidance of two AI robots from the School of Nursing. In addition, a hand-grip test to measure the muscle strength of elderly persons was also conducted by the team. Sarcopenia is an age-related problem that leads to a decrease in muscle and affects the mobility of the elderly's limbs and their ability to balance, thereby increasing the risk of falls. AI robots can serve well as fitness coaches, especially for elderly people, because robots can stimulate the elderly's interest in exercise and help them remember the movements better.

     Health talks are part of the Healthy Ageing in PRH Estates programme, which is aimed at showing the HA's care for its elderly tenants and promoting active ageing among them. The HA's Healthy Ageing in PRH Estates 2018/19 includes a number of health talks on sarcopenia and its prevention in collaboration with the School of Nursing of HKU for elderly tenants from different PRH estates throughout the territory. The current programme started in September last year and ends this month. Apart from the School of Nursing of HKU, the HA is also collaborating with the Oral Health Education Unit of the Department of Health. The two institutions have organised a total of six talks for the programme period on sarcopenia and oral health education for about a 1,000 elderly PRH tenants from different districts.

     Other activities under the programme include providing free health assessment for elderly tenants through home visits and setting up 13 mobile health assessment stations in various PRH estates in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories, and Domain, an HA shopping centre in Yau Tong. Exhibitions on sarcopenia have been held alongside the stations to educate the elderly about the problem and how to prevent falls. A total of about 6,000 elderly tenants have benefited from various activities under the 2018/19 Programme.

        

     Police today (March 8) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Kwai Chung.
 
     Lo Ho-wai, aged 46, went missing after he left his residence on Tai Ha Street yesterday (March 7) afternoon. His family made a report to Police today (March 8).
 
     He is about 1. 5 metres tall, 68 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a square face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a pair of glasses, a long-sleeved jacket in pinkish blue, dark coloured trousers and white sports shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1176, 9689 7445 or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or any police station.

  

     The Government Property Agency is inviting tenders for a three-year tenancy of Shop No. 4 outside the Departure Hall on the first floor of the Passenger Terminal Building, Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, New Territories.
 
     The premises should only be used for supermarket purposes (excluding fast food shop, restaurant, godown, residential use, office use; and excluding sale of any goods or commodities that are subject to export control under laws of Hong Kong, any regulations made thereunder and any amending legislations) and the Landlord's decision as to what constitutes a supermarket shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Tenant.

     The tender notices were uploaded today (March 8) to the Agency's website: www.gpa.gov.hk. Tender documents are available for collection at the Government Property Agency, 31/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, during office hours (8.30am to 5.45pm from Mondays to Fridays). The documents can also be downloaded from the Agency's website.
 
     Interested tenderers who wish to attend the tender briefing should make prior appointment with the Government Property Agency by calling 2594 7697 on or before March 21.

     Tenderers must submit their tenders by placing them in the Government Logistics Department Tender Box situated on the G/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, before noon on April 4. Late tenders will not be accepted.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (March 8) released the latest grading of water quality for nine gazetted beaches that are open for swimming.  
        
     Six beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), two as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:  
 

 
Grade 2 beaches are:
    

 
Grade 3 beach is:
      

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Golden Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2 and Silver Mine Bay Beach from Grade 1 to Grade 3.
      
     "The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," the EPD spokesman said.
      
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
      
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, an EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
      
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.

     Members of the public are invited to participate in the Country Parks Hiking and Planting Day to be jointly held by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and Friends of the Country Parks on three Sundays in March and April.
 
     The dates and locations of the tree planting days are as follows:
 

 
     An AFCD spokesman said today (March 8), "People who wish to participate should enroll in person at the registration point on the event day from 9am to 10.30am. Due to limited planting space, enrolment will close once the quota is full. The AFCD will provide seedlings and planting tools.
 
     "The activities aim to promote public involvement in countryside conservation and enhance awareness of nature conservation and tree preservation."
 
     The spokesman reminded participants to select an appropriate planting site and hiking route by taking into account their physical ability and hiking experience, as the time needed to go to the planting sites on the hillside varies from about 10 to 45 minutes. After tree planting, the participants may continue to hike the recommended route (the whole course takes about two hours to complete) to enjoy countryside and the beautiful scenery of the country parks. The spokesman also encouraged participants to prepare before joining the event by bringing their own water bottles and towels to avoid using one-off disposables, and take away their litter to help maintain the naturalness of the country parks.
  
     The seedlings for the tree planting activities were raised in the AFCD's tree nursery at Tai Tong, Yuen Long. In recent years the AFCD has been planting local species to enhance the biodiversity and ecological value of the country parks. About 400,000 tree seedlings were planted in country parks last year by the public, various organisations and staff of country parks.
 
     Details of the activities are available on the AFCD's website (www.natureintouch.gov.hk/hikingandplanting) or Country Parks Education Programmes's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/countryparkseducationprogammes). For enquiries about the Country Parks Hiking and Planting Day, please call 1823 or email nature@afcd.gov.hk.