The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health today (February 18) reported that the suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) pending results yesterday (February 17), upon preliminary testing, tested negative for MERS Coronavirus.
The Buildings Department approved 23 building plans in December, with six on Hong Kong Island, eight in Kowloon and nine in the New Territories.
Of the approved plans, eight were for apartment and apartment/commercial developments, six were for commercial developments, one was for factory and industrial developments, and eight were for community services developments.
In the same month, consent was given for works to start on eight building projects which, when completed, will provide 18 142 square metres of gross floor area for domestic use involving 105 units, and 19 318 sq m of gross floor area for non-domestic use. The department has received notification of commencement of works for four building projects.
The department also issued 18 occupation permits, with five on Hong Kong Island, six in Kowloon and seven in the New Territories.
Of the buildings certified for occupation, the gross floor area for domestic use was 273 524 sq m involving 5 281 units, and 50 689 sq m was for non-domestic use.
The declared cost of new buildings completed in December totalled about $13.8 billion.
In addition, 11 demolition consents involving eleven building structures were issued.
The department received 2 192 reports about unauthorised building works (UBWs) in December and issued 2 125 removal orders on UBWs.
The full version of the Monthly Digest for December can be viewed on the Buildings Department's homepage (www.bd.gov.hk).
The annual Bun Carnival is coming soon. The Bun Scrambling Competition, which is the finale of the exciting event, will be held at the soccer pitch of Pak Tai Temple Playground on Cheung Chau in the night on May 12. Physically fit people aged 18 or above are welcome to take part in the event by submitting applications from Wednesday (February 20) to March 20.
The Bun Scrambling Competition comprises three stages – training, selection of finalists and the final competition. All applicants who have completed the safety training sessions to be provided on April 14 on bun tower climbing and prevention of falls can enter the finalist selection exercise in the afternoon of April 21.
In order to provide more opportunities for participants to practise bun tower climbing and the use of safety devices, an additional practice session will be introduced on April 19 this year, which was originally the fall-back day of the training sessions, for the participants who have completed the safety training sessions on April 14 to join in.
The selection contest will be divided into two rounds. Twenty-four contestants recording the shortest time in the preliminary round, including no fewer than six female participants, will be eligible to enter the semi-final, during which they will compete for the 12 finalist places.
The 12 finalists, comprising no fewer than three female participants, will be shortlisted in the selection exercise to enter the Bun Scrambling Competition to be held from 11.30pm on May 12 to 12.45am on May 13.
All male and female finalists will compete in the same race during the final competition. They will have to scramble for buns, which carry different scores at different points, on the bun tower within a time limit. The one with the highest total score will be the winner. Moreover, the participant who bags the most buns within the specified time will be the prize winner of "Full Pockets of Lucky Buns".
To acknowledge the outstanding achievement of the winners and make the event more appealing, an award was introduced with effect from 2016 under which any male or female athlete who has won the first prize three times in the Bun Scrambling Competition will win the award and become the "King of Kings" or the "Queen of Queens" of the competition.
In addition, local Cheung Chau organisations and athletes from Hong Kong's neighbouring regions are invited to take part in the Bun Scrambling Invitation Relay. The three-member teams will compete in the relay which will be held immediately after the individual competition.
Prospectuses and enrolment forms for the Bun Scrambling Competition will be available from February 20 at the 18 District Leisure Services Offices of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), and sports centres in Islands District. They can also be obtained from the LCSD website.
Completed enrolment forms should be returned by hand or by post to the Islands District Leisure Services Office of the LCSD at Room 622, 6/F, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong, on or before March 20. Applicants may also fax the forms to 2854 3949.
The maximum number of entrants for the Bun Scrambling Competition is 200. If the applications received exceed the quota, places will be allocated by ballot. Applicants who live, work or study on Cheung Chau will have priority in the ballot.
Besides the Bun Scrambling Competition, this year's Bun Carnival will also feature a wide array of activities, including the Climbing Carnival and the Student Colouring and Drawing Competitions.
The colouring competition is organised for kindergarten students in Islands District while the drawing competition is open for the district's primary students. Both competitions aim to promote the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival's tradition of bun scrambling and local customs among youngsters. The submission of applications has already closed. Winners of the competitions will be notified via their respective schools in mid-March.
At the Climbing Carnival to be held on May 4, there will be bun tower climbing relay competitions, the bun tower climbing fun day, game stalls, handicrafts and variety shows. A Wishing Bun Tower will also be set up and winning works of the Student Colouring and Drawing Competitions will be displayed. Members of the public are welcome to join the carnival on the spot. Local tertiary institutions, government departments, public utilities and commercial and industrial organisations are invited to take part in the bun tower climbing relay competition.
The 2019 Bun Carnival is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee and the LCSD. For enquiries, please contact the Islands District Leisure Services Office of the LCSD on 2852 3220, or visit the LCSD website.
The Transport Department today (February 18) announced that two auctions of traditional vehicle registration marks will be held on March 16 (Saturday) and 17 (Sunday), in Meeting Room S221, L2 and S421, L4, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai respectively.
"A total of 320 vehicle registration marks will be put up for public sale at each auction. The lists of marks have been posted at the department's website, www.td.gov.hk," a department spokesman said.
Applicants who have paid a deposit of $1,000 to reserve a mark for auction should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price of $1,000). Otherwise, the mark may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.
People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:
(a) Successful bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:
(i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or "The Government of the HKSAR". (For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.) Successful bidders can also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS). Payment by post-dated cheques, cash or other methods will not be accepted.
(b) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted.
(c) A vehicle registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
(d) Special registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special registration mark shall be cancelled.
(e) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the mark will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.
For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of Vehicle Registration Marks, which can be downloaded from the department's website, www.td.gov.hk.
The Sales of First-hand Residential Properties Authority (SRPA) today (February 18) launched a series of videos to remind the public on points to note when purchasing first-hand residential properties.
The videos explain in depth the preparations before purchase for prospective purchasers, including how to read a sales brochure, arrangements on the day of sale and more, in the form of a video-drama for easy understanding.
The videos will be broadcast on MTR in-train TVs for 14 days from today and in the monitors at lift lobbies of more than 300 private residential buildings in February, March and May. The videos will also be broadcast regularly at Community Halls and Centres of the Home Affairs Department in 18 districts, as well as on the Housing Channel in public housing estates of the Hong Kong Housing Authority. Members of the public can also watch the videos on SRPA's website (www.srpa.gov.hk).
"Through launching the videos, the SRPA would like to remind the public on points to note when purchasing first-hand residential properties and to remember to 'study, check and think carefully' so as to make a wise decision. Teaching the public how to read a sales brochure is the focus of the videos, as sales brochures are prepared by the vendor in accordance with the requirements of the Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance. It provides comprehensive information and is very useful for choosing first-hand residential properties," an SRPA spokesman said.
The SRPA will continue to strengthen public education to further enhance the transparency and fairness of the sales of first-hand residential properties as well as protect the interests of purchasers.