Author Archives: hksar gov

     In response to the recent media report on June 17 about the excavation works at the Exhibition Centre Station under the Shatin to Central Link project that have raised public concern on the associated works safety at the Exhibition Centre Station, the Highways Department (HyD) have received the written information submitted by the MTRCL last evening (June 19).

     After a review of MTRCL’s information, the HyD is deeply dismayed by the fact that the contractor has proceeded with excavation exceeding the allowable depth before installation of the final layer of temporary steel struts, and that MTRCL has allowed the situation to persist for a prolonged period. The Transport and Housing Bureau and the HyD also deeply regret that the attitude of the MTRCL, as a project manager, and the contractor in handling the incident has unsatisfactorily put the public safety at risks. 

     In addition, it is totally unacceptable that the MTRCL has repeatedly failed to timely notify the HyD of incidents related to the construction of Hung Hom Station, To Kwa Wan Station and Exhibition Centre Station. The HyD has not been informed of the incidents until media enquiry were received.

     Regarding the information the HyD received from MTRCL, there are still many questions left unanswered and the HyD will demand a full and proper account of the incident, including a comprehensive review of MTRCL’s implementation of the supervision system. read more

     â€‹The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, chaired the second meeting of the Youth Development Commission (YDC) today (June 19). At the meeting, members endorsed the YDC youth engagement plan a… read more

     In response to media enquiry regarding a news report on the decision of The Ombudsman, Ms Connie Lau, not to renew her contract upon its expiry next year, a spokesman for the Administration Wing made the following statement:
 
     The Ombudsman, Ms Connie Lau, informed the Government in February 2018 that she would not renew her contract upon its expiry in March 2019. 
 
     The Chief Executive respected Ms Lau’s decision, which was due to personal reasons.
 
     The Government thanked Ms Lau for her outstanding leadership over the years in providing an effective channel of redress for members of the public. The Ombudsman offers fitting recommendations to help government departments and public organisations improve their governance as well as enhance the efficiency of their operation and responsiveness to public needs. The Government will certainly continue to render its staunch support to Ms Lau and the work of the Office of the Ombudsman. 
 
     The Chief Executive has agreed to identify the next Ombudsman through open recruitment, and has established a Selection Board for the exercise. 
 
     The Selection Board for the new Ombudsman will be chaired by Mr Chow Chung-kong, with Mrs Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, Dr Simon Ip Sik-on and the Director of Administration as members.
 
     The Administration Wing will invite executive search consultants to submit proposals for the open recruitment exercise in July. The consultant engaged for the exercise will publish recruitment advertisements in August to invite potential candidates to apply for the post. read more

     Regarding the incident in which a reinforced concrete wall adjacent to staircases at the To Kwa Wan Station platform under the Shatin to Central Link project was not constructed in accordance with the construction drawings, the Highways Department (HyD) requested the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) on June 11 to submit an incident report with a detailed explanation of the cause of the incident and the rectification plan no later than June 18. The HyD received the report from the MTRCL this morning (June 19), and noted that the MTRCL subsequently made public the report. The department is deeply concerned about the supervision problems revealed in the report. The HyD is scrutinising the details in the MTRCL’s report and will request the MTRCL to clarify and provide further information as necessary. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (June 19) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, and that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     From June 10 to 16, one community-acquired LD case was reported. The male patient, aged 77 with underlying illnesses, lives in Block 4, Kenswood Court, Kingswood Villas, Tin Shui Wai.

     “Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     As of June 16, 24 LD cases have been reported in 2018. In 2017 and 2016, there were 72 and 75 cases respectively.

     “Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems leading to stagnant water; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels,” the spokesman said.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus which support breathing. People may get infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices. A shower may also generate small aerosols; and
• If using these devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not tap water. Also, clean and maintain them regularly according to manufacturers’ instructions. Never leave stagnant water. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.
   

     The public should observe the health advice below:
 

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol;
• Remove strainers in water taps and shower heads quarterly for cleaning;
• If a fresh water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and they need to be changed periodically;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute the infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow medical advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile (not distilled or tap) water to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain them regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2-µm filters. Never leave stagnant water. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:
   

     1. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
     2. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
     3. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
     4. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     The public may visit the CHP’s LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP’s risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD. read more