Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:
Yellow fire danger warning
The fire danger situation today (January 1) is yellow and the risk of fire is high. People are urged to prevent fires breaking out and hikers should also be vigilant.
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Siu Lam Hospital made the following announcement today (December 31):
Five patients (aged 18 to 68) and two staff members in a male ward for severe intellectual disability had presented with respiratory symptoms since December 24. Appropriate viral tests had been arranged for the patients and the test results of four patients were positive to Parainfluenza Virus Type 2. The patients concerned are being treated under isolation with stable condition. The staff member has recovered and resumed duty while the other one is currently on sick leave.
Admission to the ward has been suspended and restricted visiting has been imposed. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward are under close surveillance.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow up.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region released $64.28 million from the Disaster Relief Fund in the year 2017-18 to support relief organisations in providing emergency relief to the victims of disasters occurring outside Hong Kong.
Grants amounting to $64.28 million were disbursed for 23 programmes carried out by nine relief organisations, providing relief to drought victims in Ethiopia and Somalia, cyclone victims in Bangladesh and the Philippines and flood victims in the Mainland of China, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. The number of beneficiaries was estimated to be around 540 000. The nine relief organisations concerned were Amity Foundation, Hong Kong; Oxfam Hong Kong; World Vision Hong Kong; Adventist Development and Relief Agency, China; Plan International Hong Kong; Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong; CEDAR Fund; Hong Kong Red Cross; and Save the Children Hong Kong.
To cater for the different needs of the victims, a wide range of relief supplies including food, quilts, hygiene and household items (such as water filters, kitchen utensils and portable solar powered lights) and temporary shelter materials and tools (such as corrugated galvanised iron sheets and tarpaulins) had been distributed through the relief programmes. From the feedback gathered by the relief organisations, the victims were very grateful for the timely assistance provided by the Disaster Relief Fund.
Relief organisations receiving grants from the Disaster Relief Fund are required to submit evaluation reports and audited accounts on the use of the grants to the Government after the completion of the relief programmes.
The Disaster Relief Fund, administered by the Administration Wing under the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, provides an effective channel for the Government to respond swiftly to appeals for humanitarian aid in relief of disasters that occur outside Hong Kong. The annual report on the activities of the Fund for the year 2017-18, photos of the relief programmes and feedback from the victims have been uploaded to the website of the Administration Wing at www.admwing.gov.hk/eng/links/drfund.htm.
The Disaster Relief Fund is replenished by the Government at the start of each financial year and, as necessary, during the financial year, depending on the calls for relief and the size of the Fund balance and commitments.
The Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee is responsible for advising the Government on the policy and practices regarding the disbursement of funds for disaster relief, specific amounts of grants made to the applicants, and monitoring the use of grants. The Committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Members include Mr Ip Kwok-him, Dr Lam Ching-choi, Dr Helena Wong, Mr Kenneth Lau, Dr Tik Chi-yuen, Mrs Ann Kung, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury and the Secretary for Labour and Welfare.
Police today (December 31) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Cheung Sha Wan.
Pan Jieguang, aged 78, went missing after he was last seen at MTR Cheung Sha Wan Station yesterday (December 30) morning. His family made a report to Police on the same day.
He is about 1.5 metres tall, 77 kilograms in weight and of fat build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black trousers and black 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 Kowloon West on 3661 8036, 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
Disposal licensing control, import and export control and disposal bans at designated waste disposal facilities of regulated electrical and electronic equipment (REE) (including waste air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, computers, printers, scanners and monitors) under the Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO) came into effect today (December 31).
An Environmental Protection Department (EPD) spokesman said that starting today, any person who is engaged in the storage, treatment, reprocessing or recycling (but not repair) of waste REE must obtain a waste disposal licence (e-WDL) issued by the EPD under the law unless exempted. A permit issued by the EPD is also required for the import and export of waste REE. In addition, landfills and other designated waste disposal facilities (such as refuse transfer stations) will not receive and handle waste REE.
The spokesman reminded members of the recycling trade that they must comply with the relevant control on waste REE. Under the WDO, any person involved in the disposal (including storage) of waste REE without a licence or the import or export of waste REE without a permit commits an offence and is liable to a fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment upon first conviction.
According to the WDO, waste disposal licences are not required for the following operations, but must still abide by all other environmental legislation and applicable legislation:
(1) disposal of waste REE (that is not chemical waste) on land or premises with an area of not more than 100 square metres;
(2) storage of waste REE with a total volume of not more than 50 cubic metres; and
(3) storage of waste REE on premises located inside a multi-storey building.
As of December 30, the EPD had issued e-WDLs to eight companies for treating, reprocessing or recycling waste REE, while a further nine applications for e-WDLs and two applications for import/export permits are being processed.
The EPD will closely monitor the operation of licensed waste REE disposal facilities to ensure their compliance with relevant legal requirements and licensing conditions. In addition, EPD staff today paid another round of visits to a number of recycling sites and industrial building premises to check whether their operations complied with relevant statutory requirements. The spokesman said EPD staff will step up inspections at recycling premises and facilities, and take stringent enforcement actions against non-compliance.
Furthermore, the EPD has earlier conducted joint blitz operations with other relevant government departments at fly-tipping black spots and recycling sites, and no apparent increase in the disposal of waste REE had been observed. The EPD will step up inspections at fly-tipping black spots and recycling sites to combat illegal disposal of waste REE.
The Producer Responsibility Scheme on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) (WPRS) covering REE came into effect on August 1 this year. With the commencement of relevant control measures under the WDO today, locally generated waste REE will be properly treated and recycled, and turned into resources. This will provide a long-term solution to potential land contamination and environmental problems arising from mishandling waste REE during delivery, storage and dismantling processes, marking another important milestone in Hong Kong's waste reduction and recycling efforts. The WEEE·PARK, developed by the Government to underpin the WPRS, began operation in October last year. As of late December, WEEE·PARK has cumulatively processed over 11 700 tonnes of WEEE. In the first five months following the implementation of the WPRS, WEEE·PARK processed 6 900 tonnes of WEEE, ensuring that the locally generated WEEE that would have been otherwise exported for disposal or sent to the landfills is now properly recycled.