A total of 143,923 registered electors voted in the Legislative Council Kowloon West geographical constituency by-election as at 5.30pm today (November 25), representing an accumulative turnout rate of 29.54%.

     The voter turnout figures are for temporary reference only.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (November 25) 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 they 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 Road Safety Council:
 
     The Road Safety Council 45th Anniversary Ceremony cum Safety Walk Carnival was successfully held today (November 25) at the Peak.
 
     The opening ceremony was officiated by the Chairperson of the Road Safety Council and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Chairman of the Road Safety Research Committee and Acting Deputy Commissioner for Transport (Planning and Technical Services), Mr Wilson Pang; and the Chairlady of the Road Safety Campaign Committee, Miss Ma Ka-wai.
 
     Mr Tang expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Council and the working partners for their contributions and support. He appealed to the public to continue to make joint efforts to realise the vision of "Zero Accidents on the Road, Hong Kong's Goal".
 
     Around 1,000 members of the public participated in the 3.5-kilometre safety walk and the carnival located at Mount Austin Playground. The Road Safety Council aimed to enhance the community's awareness of road safety and alert the members of public of its importance through different road safety messages at the checkpoints along the safety walk and at the fun-filled game booths of the carnival.

     A total of 129,767 registered electors voted in the Legislative Council Kowloon West geographical constituency by-election as at 4.30pm today (November 25), representing an accumulative turnout rate of 26.64%.

     The voter turnout figures are for temporary reference only.

     A programme entitled "Singing Nanyin as We Go", which is organised by the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Office, will be launched in January next year. Under the programme, troupe group The Gong Strikes One will tour Hong Kong's 18 districts, using nanyin to recount the history of local communities and bringing cultural insights to members of the public.
 
     Speaking at the launching ceremony at the Witty Street Tram Depot today (November 25), the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li, said that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has made great efforts to promote nanyin in recent years, exploring new opportunities for nanyin creation and performance. These include the holding of nanyin related programmes in this year's Hong Kong Flower Show, the Muse Fest HK and the New Vision Arts Festival, which aims to bring nanyin into local communities and people's daily lives, as well as preserving this local performing art which has great cultural value.
 
     She also expressed the hope that the programme will attract young people's attention and raise their interest in nanyin and other ICH items, especially through the performances by young musicians.
 
     Troupe group The Gong Strikes One has been invited to perform traditional nanyin repertoires with new lyrics specially composed for the 18 districts of Hong Kong from January next year to June 2020. The first performance will be held at the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum on January 20.
 
     Other officiating guests at the launching ceremony included the Chairman of the Culture, Leisure and Social Affairs Committee of the Central and Western District Council, Mr Stephen Chan; the Chairman of the Community Affairs and Tourism Development Committee of the Southern District Council, Ms Lam Yuk-chun; the Assistant Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Heritage and Museums), Mr Chan Shing-wai; and the Head of the ICH Office, Ms Cissy Ho.
 
     Nanyin is a musical performing art sung in the Cantonese vernacular, which became a kind of popular music for the people of Hong Kong around the beginning of the 20th century. With its easily communicable lyrics and singers' improvisation of colloquial phrases, people found the songs catchy and easy to remember, so nanyin resonated with the public. Nanyin was inscribed onto the first Representative List of the ICH of Hong Kong in August last year.
 
     The programme is presented by the LCSD and organised by the ICH Office. For details of the programme and performance schedule, please visit the website of the ICH Office www.lcsd.gov.hk/ICHO, or call 2411 2001.