The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is investigating today (August 22) one additional local case of dengue fever (DF) and again urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel.
 
     The case is detailed below:
 

     "We are working closely with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) to assess and prevent possible spread of infection. The FEHD's vector investigations, surveillance and control are ongoing. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing," a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     "The CHP, together with the FEHD, will conduct a health talk at 1/F of Cheung Chau Municipal Services Building at 11am tomorrow (August 23) and another health talk at Chuk Yuen Estate Community Centre at 8pm this Friday (August 24) to deliver health advice. The CHP has also provided information and details of geographical distribution on the local DF cases on the CHP's designated webpage for DF to facilitate handy access of information for the public," the spokesman said.
 
     The CHP appeals to members of the public not to visit Lion Rock Park during the closure period in order to prevent contracting DF. Scientific studies have shown that infected persons can transmit the virus to mosquitoes through mosquito bites even if they remain asymptomatic or before their onset of symptoms, leading to further spread of the disease. Hence, people who had visited Lion Rock Park are advised to apply insect repellent for 14 days upon their last visit, and those with DF symptoms should seek medical advice as early as possible.
 
     Persons who have been to the vicinity of Wong Tai Sin (particularly Lion Rock Park), Kwai Shing West Estate, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Cheung Chau (Hillside Road, Tsan Tuen Road and Fa Peng Road), Highland Park, Sai Tso Wan Recreation Ground, Wing Yiu Street, Tak Long Estate, Portland Street, Shanghai Street, Greenfield Garden and Jade Villa with DF symptoms should call the CHP's hotline (2125 1122) for laboratory investigation or referral as appropriate. The hotline operates from 9am to 5.45pm daily.

     "We have informed the Guangdong and Macao health authorities to alert them to the latest situation," the spokesman added.

     This is the 19th local case recorded this year. Excluding the local cases, as of noon today, 61 imported cases had been recorded in 2018. The cases were mainly imported from Thailand (26), the Philippines (12) and Cambodia (7).

     In the rainy season, the public should take heed of the following advice on mosquito control:
 

• Thoroughly check all gully traps, roof gutters, surface channels and drains to prevent blockage;
• Scrub and clean drains and surface channels with an alkaline detergent compound at least once a week to remove any deposited mosquito eggs;
• Properly dispose of refuse, such as soft drink cans, empty bottles and boxes, in covered litter containers;
• Completely change the water of flowers and plants at least once a week. The use of saucers should be avoided if possible;
• Level irregular ground surfaces before the rainy season;
• Avoid staying in shrubby areas; and
• Take personal protective measures such as wearing light-coloured long-sleeved clothes and trousers and apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothing or uncovered areas of the body when doing outdoor activities.

     To reduce the risk of infections spread by mosquitoes, apart from general measures, travellers returning from affected areas should apply insect repellent for 14 days (DF) or at least 21 days (Zika Virus Infection) upon arrival in Hong Kong. If feeling unwell, seek medical advice promptly and provide travel details to the doctor. DEET-containing insect repellents are effective and the public should take heed of the tips below:
 

• Read the label instructions carefully first;
• Apply right before entering an area with risk of mosquito bites;
• Apply on exposed skin and clothing;
• Use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children*;
• Apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent; and
• Re-apply only when needed and follow the instructions.

* For children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent.

     The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems and may visit the DF pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, the CHP Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the FEHD's Guidebook on Control and Prevention of Mosquito Breeding for more information.

     The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, visited Sham Shui Po District this afternoon (August 22). He toured a community service organisation and a creative arts centre in the district, and also met with members of the Sham Shui Po District Council (SSPDC).
 
     Mr Nip first paid a visit to a community service organisation dedicated to helping the underprivileged. He met with some new arrivals to learn about their life and needs after coming to live in Hong Kong, and outlined the Government's services and assistance rendered to them to facilitate their integration into society.
 
     Mr Nip then visited the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, where he toured two studios specialising in fabric flower creation and photography. Meeting the studio artists, Mr Nip listened to them speak on their creative careers in Hong Kong and on their experiences in organising different kinds of creative arts activities. They also exchanged views on promoting creativity at the community level. The centre supports over 140 artists and art organisations through providing venues for creative work and performances. It also organises a wide array of activities, such as interest classes, exhibitions and performances, to nurture creative talents and promote arts and culture in the community.
 
     Mr Nip said he was impressed by the artists' passion towards art creation and encouraged them to continue unleashing their creativity. "Hong Kong is Asia's world city and embraces both Eastern and Western cultures. This provides the fertile soil for the development of our cultural and creative industries. The Government has all along been generous in devoting resources for supporting the growth of Hong Kong's cultural and creative industries. With the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, creative talents in Hong Kong will surely have bigger room to fulfil their potential," he said.
 
     Mr Nip also met with the Chairman of the SSPDC, Mr Ambrose Cheung, and members of the SSPDC to exchange views on district and community affairs.

        

     The Labour Department (LD) today (August 22) reminded employers to make prior work arrangements for staff in times of rainstorms as soon as possible.
 
     "To avoid disputes and confusion, employers should make prior work arrangements for staff and contingency measures in times of rainstorms," an LD spokesman said.
 
     "In working out and enforcing the arrangements, employers should give prime consideration to employees' safety both in the workplace and during their journeys to and from work, and adopt a flexible approach. Whenever possible, they should consult their staff."
 
     The work arrangements should cover the following matters:
 
* Whether employees are required to report for duty when different rainstorm warnings are issued;
* After a rainstorm warning is cancelled, the time for staff who have not reported for duty to resume work and the arrangements;
* How wages and allowances (if any) will be calculated for staff who are required to report for duty and those who are late for work or absent from work during rainstorms; and
* For employees who are required to travel to and from workplaces during rainstorms, whether transport facilities will be provided to them and, if so, the arrangements.
 
     "Employers should make realistic assessments of the requirements for essential staff and require only absolutely essential staff to report for duty in adverse weather conditions. If an Amber, Red or Black Rainstorm Warning is issued during working hours, employees working indoors should remain on duty as usual and stay where they are unless it is dangerous to do so. Supervisors of employees working outdoors in exposed areas should suspend outdoor duties as soon as practicable. They should arrange for their employees to take shelter temporarily and resume duty when weather conditions permit. When the Black Rainstorm Warning is issued, those employees should not resume duty until the warning is lowered and weather conditions permit. If the Black Rainstorm Warning remains in force at the end of working hours, for safety reasons, employers should provide employees with an area in the workplace as temporary shelter for them to stay if they want to.
 
     "If possible, employers should provide transport services for employees who are still required to travel to and from workplaces when the Black Rainstorm Warning is in force, or give them a special travelling allowance as encouragement.
 
     "For staff who have practical difficulties in resuming work promptly upon cancellation of a rainstorm warning, employers should give due consideration to the circumstances of individual employees and handle each case flexibly.
 
     "As rainstorms are natural occurrences that cannot be avoided, employers should not deduct wages of employees who are absent from or late for work because of inclement weather. Neither should employers dismiss an employee summarily based on these grounds," he said.
 
     The spokesman also reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and the Minimum Wage Ordinance.
 
     Employers should not deduct the annual leave, statutory holidays or rest days employees are entitled to under the Employment Ordinance so as to compensate for the loss of working hours resulting from employees' failure to report for duty upon the announcement of a Black Rainstorm Warning. An employer who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with relevant provisions under the Employment Ordinance is liable to prosecution.
 
     Employers should also note that they have an obligation to maintain a safe workplace for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance.
 
     "If employees are required to work in times of rainstorms, employers should ensure that the risks at work are properly controlled and reduced to levels that are as low as reasonably practicable," the spokesman said.
 
     Under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, employers are liable to pay compensation for deaths or injuries incurred when employees are travelling by a direct route from their residences to workplaces, or from workplaces back to residences after work, four hours before or after working hours on a day when Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above or a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning is in force.
 
     To provide practical guidelines and samples of work arrangements for the reference of employers and employees, the LD has issued the booklet "Code of Practice in times of Typhoons and Rainstorms". The code can be obtained from the branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department's webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf).

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 22) urged schools, parents and students to heighten vigilance and adopt strict personal and environmental hygiene as well as mosquito control actions and personal protective measures to prevent the spread of dengue fever (DF) and other communicable diseases in schools as social contact among students in schools will increase when school resumes after the summer holidays.
 
     A spokesman for the CHP said, "Hong Kong has experienced an unprecedented outbreak of DF since August 14. As the situation is still evolving, it is likely further cases may occur in the community. The CHP calls for assistance from schools in the prevention of DF."
 
     "As schools are collective assembly places, infectious diseases could be easily spread among people through their daily contacts. Based on seasonal patterns and past surveillance data, we expect that sporadic institutional outbreaks of respiratory illnesses or hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) or chickenpox may occur in the new school year when students and staff gather on campus," the spokesman continued.
 
     "The CHP has issued letters to schools, kindergartens and child care centres today to remind them for continued vigilance and reinforcement of preventive measures to guard against possible outbreaks when classes resume," the spokesman added.

A. Dengue fever

     To reduce the risk of DF infections, apart from general measures, the CHP reminded schools, parents, staff and students that they should not visit Lion Rock Park during the closure period in order to prevent contracting DF. Scientific studies have shown that infected persons can transmit the virus to mosquitoes through mosquito bites even if they remain asymptomatic or before their onset of symptoms, leading to further spread of the disease. Hence, people who had visited Lion Rock Park are advised to apply insect repellent for 14 days upon their last visit.
 
     Likewise, staff and students returning from affected areas of DF should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. Those with DF symptoms should seek medical advice as early as possible.

     Eighteen local cases of DF had been confirmed this year as of yesterday. Excluding the local cases, as of yesterday, 61 imported cases had been recorded in 2018. The cases were mainly imported from Thailand (26), the Philippines (12) and Cambodia (seven).
    
     Prompt, continuous, intensive and effective anti-mosquito operation must be carried out at this stage to prevent DF from further spread. Schools should take the following preventive measures to prevent accumulation of stagnant water and eliminate mosquito breeding sites:
 

• Put all used cans and bottles into covered dustbins;
• Change water for plants at least once a week, avoid using saucers underneath flower pots;
• Cover tightly all water containers, wells and water storage tanks;
• Keep all drains free from blockage; and
• Top up all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water.

 
     Staff and students are also advised to protect themselves from mosquito bite by taking the following measures:
 

• Wear loose, light–coloured, long-sleeved tops and trousers, and apply effective mosquito repellent containing DEET to exposed parts of the body and clothing;
• Use mosquito screens or bed nets when the room is not air-conditioned; and
• Place anti-mosquito devices near entrances such as windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes from entering indoor.

 
     Furthermore, the school management is advised to appoint designated staff for mosquito prevention and control in the school premises. Details are available from the guidelines published by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department:
www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/library/pdf_pest_control/mosquito_school.pdf.
 
 
B. Influenza and respiratory illnesses

     The surveillance data of the CHP showed that the overall local influenza activity is currently at a low level, but outbreaks of influenza-like illness in schools may increase after the start of the new school year. Although influenza is usually self-limiting, it may cause serious illness even in healthy children.
 
     Parents are advised to consult family doctors for seasonal influenza (SI) vaccination for their children for personal protection before the winter season arrives. Parents are reminded that it takes two weeks for the body to develop a sufficient level of antibodies to protect against influenza virus infection after vaccination.

     "If students or staff develop fever, respiratory symptoms, diarrhoea, vomiting or skin rash, schools should strongly advise them not to return to campus and to promptly seek medical advice. Management of schools should observe precautions on campus, such as avoiding sharing clothing or slippers, to prevent possible transmission of diseases," the spokesman added.

     For more information on SI vaccination, parents may call the CHP hotline at 2125 2125 or visit the CHP's Vaccination Schemes page. 
 
 
C. Hand, foot and mouth disease and enterovirus infection

     Although local HFMD activity returned to a baseline level in mid-August after its peak in June, sporadic outbreaks may occur in schools and institutions where HFMD can easily spread among young children with close contact. A smaller peak may also occur from October to December.

     In 2018, 33 cases of enterovirus (EV) 71 infection had been recorded as of yesterday, which is fewer than the 44 cases in the same period of 2017; whereas five cases of severe paediatric EV infection (other than EV71 and poliovirus) were recorded in 2018 as of yesterday, which is more than the three cases in the same period of 2017. The five infants this year involved children aged 1 to 2 months and each of them was diagnosed with meningitis.
 
     "EV infection is transmitted by direct contact with nose and throat discharges. Children suffering from EV infection should stay at home and avoid contact with other children until they have recovered," the spokesman reminded.

D. Chickenpox

     Chickenpox is the most common notifiable infectious disease in Hong Kong and is highly communicable, which can be spread through droplets or air. It can also spread through direct or indirect contact with the discharges from vesicles and mucous membranes of persons with chickenpox or herpes zoster. Children are most affected. Locally, there are two seasonal peaks. The number of chickenpox cases usually starts to rise in October and peaks in December and January, while a smaller peak is also observed in June and July.

     A total of 225 institutional chickenpox outbreaks affecting 1 138 persons had been recorded in 2018 as of August 17, including 79 outbreaks (363 children) in kindergartens or child care centres and 117 (673 pupils) in primary schools. On the whole, 4 124 chickenpox cases had been reported this year, which is fewer than the 6 551 cases in the same period last year.

     Schools are reminded to follow the Guidelines on Prevention of Communicable Diseases on preventive and control measures as well as management of outbreaks, which should be reported to the CHP for prompt follow-up. Schools may refer to the CHP's pages on DF, SI, HFMD and EV71 infection and chickenpox and for more information.

     As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to protect the safety of their employees when they are carrying out electrical work or handling electrical plant.

     A spokesman for the LD said today (August 22) that employers and contractors should avoid assigning employees to carry out electrical work (like electric arc welding work) or handle electrical plant at places affected by rainstorms, and should refer to the "Code of Practice in times of Typhoons and Rainstorms" and the "Guide on Safety at Work in times of Inclement Weather" issued by the LD.

     Even if electrical work is carried out or electrical plant is handled at places not affected by the rainstorm, suitable safety measures must still be adopted to prevent electric shock as the air would be more humid. Such measures include:

(i) Ensure that all live parts of an electrical installation are isolated from the power supply source and rendered dead, and the isolation from the power supply source must be maintained as long as electrical work is being carried out;

(ii) Before carrying out any electrical work or handling any electrical plant, cut off and lock out the power supply source, then test the circuit concerned to confirm it is dead and display suitable warning notices, and issue a work permit thereafter;

(iii) Ensure that protective devices (such as suitable and adequate fuses and circuit breakers) for the electrical installations or electrical plant have been installed and maintained in good working order, and portable electric tools must be double-insulated or properly earthed;

(iv) Provide suitable personal protective equipment such as insulating gloves and insulating mats for employees; and

(v) If live electrical work is unavoidable, a comprehensive risk assessment should be conducted by a competent person and the appropriate safety precautions should be taken to remove or properly control the electrical hazards involved before such work can proceed.

     In addition, employees should co-operate with the employer or contractor to follow the safety instructions and use the safety equipment provided.

     The LD has published guidebooks and leaflets on electrical work safety. These safety publications are available free from divisional offices of the department or can be downloaded from its website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_8.htm).

     Should there be any questions about occupational safety and health matters, please contact the Occupational Safety Officer of the LD at 2559 2297.