"Christmas Family Screen 2018" will screen six fascinating films for all ages from December 15 to 30 at the Auditorium of the North District Town Hall, the lecture halls of the Hong Kong Science Museum and Hong Kong Space Museum, Grand Kornhill Cinema, Movie Town and the STAR Cinema.
      
     Presented by the Film Programmes Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in collaboration with MCL, the programme is one of the highlights of the "Cheers!" Series.
       
     "The Legend of Timm Thaler or the Boy Who Sold His Laughter" (2017), which is an adaptation of a best-selling German novel for young adults, follows the diabolical Baron Lefuet who schemes to steal Timm Thaler's charming laughter. He proposes a deal by which Timm will win every future bet he ever makes. But when Timm closes the deal, he finds his life will never be the same. The film won the BIFAN Children's Jury Award at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2017.
 
     In Norway's biggest family box office hit "Santa Swap – Merry Christmas Mr Andersen" (2016), carpenter Andersen is preparing to wear a Santa costume when he bumps into the real Santa. The two decide to swap identities, giving their respective families a memorable Christmas.
           
     Adapted from a famous German children TV series, "The Peppercorns and the Curse of the Black King" (2017) features a group of smart young agents who endeavour to uncover the reasons behind a series of mysterious accidents that have happened at the Gruber Family's mountain ranch, such as the cattle falling sick and the well water turning black.
      
     Regarded as the French version of "Lassie", "Belle & Sebastian, Friends for Life" (2017) is adapted from a TV series which tells of the life of a little boy, Sebastian, and his beloved dog, Belle who live in the magnificent Alps. A man claims to be Belle's rightful owner, causing Sebastian, who doesn't want to lose Belle, to escape from home with his dog – and they embark on an adventure.
      
     In "Christmas & Co." (2017), the elves in Santa's workshop – who have long been his assistants – fall ill and pass out, causing the toy production line to halt. Santa searches for a cure for his elves in order to get the Christmas gifts out on time.   
 
     Animation "Leo Da Vinci: Mission Mona Lisa" (2018) features Leonardo, who loves to invent machines, using his inventions to find hidden treasure so as to safeguard his best friend's home. Leonardo's journey becomes adventurous as a group of sinister pirates is closing in.
 
     Experienced dubbing artists Pat Kwok and Kinson Lai will perform live Cantonese dubbing for "The Legend of Timm Thaler or the Boy Who Sold His Laughter" and "Santa Swap – Merry Christmas Mr Andersen", which also has English subtitles. "The Peppercorns and the Curse of the Black King" is in German; "Belle & Sebastian, Friends for Life" is in French; "Christmas & Co." is in French and Russian and "Leo Da Vinci: Mission Mona Lisa" is in English. The aforementioned films will have Chinese and English subtitles.
      
     Tickets for North District Town Hall screenings are priced at $50; Science Museum and Space Museum screenings are priced at $60 and other screenings are priced at $70. Tickets are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries, please call 2734 2900 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/cfs2018/index.html.

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) and its Committees will hold 24 open meetings and a closed meeting during the week from October 8 to 12 in the LegCo Complex. Details of the meetings are available in the meeting schedule attached.
 
     The information in the meeting schedule is subject to change.  Please refer to the "LegCo Calendar" on the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk) for the latest details of meetings.
 
     Members of the public are welcome to observe open meetings of LegCo and its Committees.  Interested individuals and groups are advised to make advance booking of seats by calling the LegCo Secretariat at 3919 3399 during office hours.  Members of the public can also listen to or watch all open meetings via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website.
 

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (October 5) reported the latest number of cases 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.
 
     From September 28 to October 4, the CHP recorded one imported DF case. The patient had been to Mainland China during the incubation period. 

     As of yesterday (October 4), 110 cases had been confirmed this year, 29 of which were local cases and 81 imported cases. The imported cases were mainly imported from Thailand (30), the Philippines (15) and Cambodia (nine). Since September 4, the number of local DF cases recorded this year has remained at 29.
 
     DF remains endemic in some areas in Asia and beyond. The latest figures for 2018 revealed that 61 917 cases had been recorded in Thailand, 2 139 in Singapore (since December 31, 2017) and 130 in Japan. In Taiwan, 142 local cases have been recorded to date in 2018. In the Americas, the latest figures indicate that 36 101 cases have been filed in Mexico in 2018.
 
     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 may refer to the CHP's tips for using insect repellents for details.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (October 5) reported a suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places of visit. The case is detailed below:
 

     "Travellers to the Middle East should avoid going to farms, barns or markets with camels; avoid contact with sick persons and animals, especially camels, birds or poultry; and avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities. We strongly advise travel agents organising tours to the Middle East to abstain from arranging camel rides and activities involving direct contact with camels, which are known risk factors for acquiring MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)," a spokesman for the CHP said.    

     Locally, the CHP's surveillance with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Inbound travellers and members of the public who recently visited the Middle East and developed fever or lower respiratory symptoms within 14 days will be classified as suspected MERS cases. They will be taken to public hospitals for isolation and management until their specimens test negative for MERS-CoV.

     Travellers to affected areas should maintain vigilance, adopt appropriate health precautions and take heed of personal, food and environmental hygiene. The public may visit the MERS pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, MERS statistics in affected areas, the CHP's Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the World Health Organization's latest news for more information and health advice. Tour leaders and tour guides operating overseas tours are advised to refer to the CHP's health advice on MERS.

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) House Committee and Finance Committee held separate meetings today (October 5) to elect Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen for the 2018-2019 session.

     Ms Starry Lee and Mr Dennis Kwok were elected Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the House Committee respectively; Mr Chan Kin-por and Mr Chan Chun-ying were elected Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee respectively.