Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 1) that due to inclement weather, red flags have been hoisted at Clear Water Bay First Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:

     The Community Care Fund (CCF) today (August 1) announced the rollout of the Pilot Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families Phase III and the Pilot Scheme on Living Allowance for Low-income Carers of Persons with Disabilities Phase II in October 2018.

     The two pilot schemes aim to provide carers of elderly persons/persons with disabilities from low-income families with a living allowance to help supplement their living expenses so that elderly persons/persons with disabilities with long-term care needs may, with their carers' assistance, receive more proper care and continue to live in a familiar community. The two pilot schemes will be administered by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) with details as follows:

(1) Pilot Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families Phase III

     The Pilot Scheme was first launched in June 2014 and its Phase II was launched in October 2016. Phase III of the Pilot Scheme will last for two years and the quota will be increased by 2 000, bringing the total quota of beneficiaries to 6 000 for all three phases. Eligible carers of elderly persons must meet all of the following criteria:
 

• the elderly person(s) being taken care of must be living in Hong Kong and has/have been assessed under the SWD's Standardised Care Need Assessment Mechanism for Elderly Services to be of moderate or severe level of impairment, and has/have been on the Central Waiting List waiting for subsidised long-term care services (i.e. residential care services and/or community care services) on or before November 30, 2017;
• the elderly person(s) being taken care of must be living in the community, without using any residential care service or undergoing long-term hospitalisation during the application period and while receiving the allowance;
• the carer must be capable of taking up the care-giving role and is providing at least 80 hours of care-giving work per month, or not less than a total of 120 hours per month for taking care of more than one elderly person who meets the aforementioned criteria at the same time;
• the carer must be a Hong Kong resident who is living in Hong Kong and not engaged in any form of employment relationship with the elderly person(s) under his/her care;
• the carer must not be a recipient of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), Old Age Living Allowance (OALA), or the living allowance under Phase II of the CCF Pilot Scheme on Living Allowance for Low-income Carers of Persons with Disabilities for taking care of the same elderly person; and
• the monthly household income of the carer must not exceed 75 per cent of the relevant Median Monthly Domestic Household Income (MMDHI), excluding assets.

(2) Pilot Scheme on Living Allowance for Low-income Carers of Persons with Disabilities Phase II

     The Pilot Scheme was first launched in October 2016. Phase II of the Pilot Scheme will last for two years and the quota will be increased by 500, bringing the total quota of beneficiaries to 2 500 for the two phases. Eligible carers of persons with disabilities must meet all of the following criteria:
 

• the person(s) with disabilities being taken care of must be living in Hong Kong and has/have been on the waiting lists on or before March 31, 2018, for any of the specified rehabilitation services subsidised by the SWD, special school with boarding placement under the Education Bureau or infirmary service of the Hospital Authority;
• the person(s) with disabilities being taken care of must be living in the community, without using any residential care service/boarding service of special school/infirmary service or undergoing long-term hospitalisation during the application period and while receiving the allowance;
• the carer must be capable of taking up the care-giving role, and is providing at least 80 hours of care-giving work per month, or not less than a total of 120 hours per month for taking care of more than one person with disabilities who meets the aforementioned criteria at the same time;
• the carer must be a Hong Kong resident who is living in Hong Kong and not engaged in any form of employment relationship with the person(s) with disabilities under his/her care;
• the carer must not be a recipient of CSSA, OALA, or the living allowance under Phase III of the CCF Pilot Scheme on Living allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families for taking care of the same person with disabilities; and
• the monthly household income of the carer must not exceed 75 per cent of the relevant MMDHI, excluding assets.

     A monthly allowance of $2,400 will be disbursed to each eligible carer of elderly persons/persons with disabilities, and a maximum of $4,800 per month will be disbursed to those carers who take care of more than one elderly person/person with disabilities at the same time. The subsidy period will start from October 2018 at the earliest and end in September 2020.

     Starting from today, the SWD will issue letters to the elderly persons/persons with disabilities concerned for inviting their carers to apply for the allowance. Applicants are required to submit the completed application forms together with all necessary documents by post or by hand to the CCF Team of the SWD on or before October 31, 2018. Upon completion of the vetting, the SWD will notify the applicants of their application results in writing. Approved service providers, which are responsible for providing support services, will also approach the carers concerned and the elderly persons/persons with disabilities being taken care of to arrange support services and follow-up on the payment arrangement for the allowance. Existing beneficiaries under the two pilot schemes are not required to submit new applications. The SWD will separately notify them of the relevant arrangements in writing.

     For details of the two pilot schemes, please visit the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk) or the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk). For enquiries, members of the public may also call the CCF Team of the SWD at 3422 3090 during office hours.

     The Government today (August 1) announced the re-appointment of two serving members, namely Ms Mabel Chau Man-ki and Dr Gene Tsoi Wai-wang, to the Research Council from August 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019.

     The Council, chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health, is responsible for providing strategic guidance for funding health and medical research, and overseeing the administration of the Health and Medical Research Fund including the allocation of funds for approved research and health promotion projects.

     The membership list of the Council with effect from August 1, 2018, is as follows:

Chairperson:
Secretary for Food and Health/Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health)

Members:
Ms Mabel Chau Man-ki
Dr Vincent Cheng Chi-chung
Professor Annie Cheung Nga-yin
Professor David Hui Shu-cheong
Professor Timothy Kwok Chi-yui
Professor Lau Chak-sing
Professor Diana Lee Tze-fan
Professor Leung Suet-yi
Professor Lyu Aiping
Professor Alex Molasiotis
Professor Hextan Ngan Yuen-sheung
Professor Joseph Sriyal Malik Peiris
Dr Gene Tsoi Wai-wang
Professor Yeoh Eng-kiong
Professor Yip Shea-ping
Dr Yu Wai-cho
Secretary for Innovation and Technology or representative
Director of Health or representative
Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority or representative
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong or representative
Dean of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong or representative
Consultant (Research Office), Food and Health Bureau (Secretary)

     A man who went missing in Kwun Tong has been located.
      
     Cheung Chi-keung, aged 61, went missing after he left his residence in Lei Yue Mun Estate on July 24 morning. His family made a report to Police on July 25.
      
     The man was located in a hospital on Hip Wo Street in Sau Mau Ping yesterday afternoon (July 31).
     

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 1) reminded members of the public, particularly those undertaking outdoor activities, to take heed of necessary measures against heat stroke and sunburn in very hot weather.

     "The public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     "Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system," the spokesman explained.

     "The obese, the sick, including those with heart disease or high blood pressure, the old and the young are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. They should pay special attention," the spokesman added.

     The public should adopt the following precautions:
 

• Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;
• Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion place additional demands on the physique;
• Perform outdoor activities in the morning or late afternoon;
• For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation; and
• Reschedule work to cooler times of the day.

     If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable, and start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Get into a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.

     The public should also note the latest and the forecast Ultraviolet (UV) Index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV Index remains high (6 or above):
 

• Minimise direct exposure of the skin and the eyes to sunlight;
• Wear loose long-sleeved clothing made of close-woven fabrics;
• Wear a wide brim hat or use an umbrella;
• Seek a shaded area or put on UV-blocking sunglasses;
• Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or above. Apply liberally and reapply after swimming or sweating; and
• While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent.

     If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

     The public may get more information from the DH's Health Education Hotline (2833 0111), heat stroke page and UV radiation page; the HKO's Dial-a-Weather (1878 200), latest weather and forecast, UV Index and weather information for hiking and mountaineering; and press releases of the Labour Department on precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force.