The Environmental Protection Department and the Environmental Campaign Committee have joined forces with environmental groups to set up the Reuse and Upcycling Programme for Bamboo to collect used bamboo for reuse and upcycling.

     News.gov.hk interviewed programme participants to see how discarded bamboo can be transformed into objects ranging from fences to wind chimes, giving the material a second life.

     The story appears on news.gov.hk today (June 10) in text and video format.

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting today (June 10).

     The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

     Appropriate traffic signs will be put up and police will be on hand to guide motorists.

     The Police also appeal to people going to Sha Tin Racecourse for the race meeting and to Happy Valley Racecourse for cross betting to make maximum use of public transport.

     Parking spaces at the two racecourses are available only to holders of appropriate permits issued by Hong Kong Jockey Club and any vehicles illegally parked will be towed away.

     The Home Affairs Department has opened 15 temporary heat shelters today (June 10) as the Very Hot Weather Warning (VHWW) is in force.
 
     The shelters will be closed at 10pm if the VHWW is cancelled before 4.30pm. Otherwise, the shelters will be open until 8am tomorrow.
 
     For further information, please call the department's enquiry hotline before midnight on 2835 1473.
 
     The 15 temporary heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Districts:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex,
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern/Wan Chai –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G. Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai

     131 electors (1.5 per cent) voted in the first hour of the Eastern District Council Kai Hiu Constituency by-election which opened at 7.30am today (June 10). (The voter turnout figures are only for temporary reference.)

     Two polling stations will remain open until 10.30pm today for 8 728 registered electors in the constituency to cast their votes. They are located at the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong-Chai Wan Centre, Units 1-10, G/F, Sui Lok House, Siu Sai Wan Estate, Chai Wan, Hong Kong and the Siu Sai Wan Community Hall, G/F, Siu Sai Wan Complex, 15 Siu Sai Wan Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong.

     A dedicated polling station has been set up at Chai Wan Police Station, 6 Lok Man Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong for electors in the Kai Hiu Constituency who are remanded or detained by law enforcement agencies other than the Correctional Services Department (CSD) to cast their votes. The polling hours are from 7.30am to 10.30pm.

     Electors in the constituency who are imprisoned or remanded in the CSD's custody can cast their ballots at four dedicated polling stations set up at their respective penal institutions. For security reasons, the polling hours are from 9am to 4pm.

     The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC), Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah and EAC member Mr Arthur Luk, SC, will visit the polling stations this morning.

     "Electors are advised to cast their votes as early as possible and read carefully the address of the designated polling station on their poll cards indicating where they should cast their votes," a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said.

     "Electors must bring the original of their Hong Kong identity card or other specified alternative documents to the designated polling station to collect their ballot paper to cast vote. Voting is very simple. Electors must use the chop provided by the polling stations to stamp the ballot paper with a tick in the circle opposite the name of the chosen candidate, and fold the ballot paper inward in half before putting it into the ballot box," he said.

     Once the poll is closed, the polling stations at the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong-Chai Wan Centre and the Siu Sai Wan Community Hall will be converted into counting stations. The public will be able to watch the vote counting within the designated area at the counting stations.

     To protect the secrecy of votes, the ballot boxes at the dedicated polling stations will be delivered to the main counting station at the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong-Chai Wan Centre for opening after the close of polling. The ballot papers concerned will be mixed with the ballot papers cast at the main counting station before counting.

     The election results will be announced at the counting station at the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong-Chai Wan Centre.

     An election hotline (2891 1001) is in service until 11pm to answer enquiries relating to the by-election.

     A complaints hotline (2827 7251) is also in operation until 11pm to handle complaints about breaches of electoral rules or guidelines.

     The three candidates contesting this by-election are Tan Chun Chun Enki (No. 1), Ishigami Lee Fung-king Alice (No. 2) and Chik Kit-ling Elaine (No. 3).

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 10) 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.