The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 9) 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.

     "Children, the elderly, the obese and those with chronic illnesses, such as heart disease or high blood pressure, are more vulnerable to heat stroke. 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 can place additional demands on the physique;
• Perform outdoor activities in the morning or the late afternoon;
• For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation;
• Do not stay inside a parked vehicle; and
• Reschedule work to cooler times of the day. If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable. Start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Move to 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 is high (6 or above):
 

• Minimise direct exposure of the skin and the eyes to sunlight;
• Wear long-sleeved and loose-fitting clothes;
• Wear a wide-brimmed 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, sweating or towelling off; 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.

     â€‹The public may obtain more information from the DH's Health Education Infoline (2833 0111), heat stroke page and UV radiation page; the HKO's Dial-a-Weather (1878 200), latest weather report 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.

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (August 9). They are, on Hong Kong Island, Methodist Centre; in Kowloon, Joint Committee for the Promotion of the Constitution and Hong Kong Basic Law; and in the New Territories, Yuen Long District Women's Association Limited, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.

     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people distinguish among the three flag-selling activities.    

     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on August 9 is as follows:
 

 
     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.

     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.

     â€‹Regarding the incident of fallen rendering at Sun Hing Building in Mong Kok today (August 8), the Buildings Department (BD), after preliminary investigation, suspected that the fallen rendering at the scene was part of the rendering removed by the concerned contractor during the repair of the external wall of the building, and did not fall from the external wall of the building.

     After inspection, the BD considered there was no obvious danger to the overall building structure.

     The BD will conduct an investigation into the incident.  If a breach of the Buildings Ordinance (BO) is found, the BD will take appropriate action, including instigating prosecution and/or disciplinary action against the person/registered contractor who has breached the statutory requirements.  

     In addition, in order to ensure public safety, the registered contractor had, upon the instructions of the BD staff, removed the remaining pieces of rendering on the scaffolding, and will re-assess the safety of the scaffolding on the external walls of the entire building to ensure that the protective measures, such as the necessary protective nets/sheeting are properly installed and are without damage. The BD had also requested the Registered Inspector (RI) responsible for the repair works to inspect the contractor's work procedures, including the implementation of effective measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents, and to ensure all the improvement measures have been completed before allowing the contractor to resume work. The BD will continue to follow up the repair works and the supervision work of the RI in compliance with the requirements of the BO.

     In order to step up co-ordination to enhance the transport connectivity of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (KTCT), the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, chaired an inter-departmental meeting today (August 8) with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Tourism Commission, the Transport Department, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the operator of the KTCT. The meeting discussed improvement measures to be implemented tomorrow (August 9) and beyond to address the transport connectivity issues during the berthing of cruise ships at the KTCT.

     The meeting concluded that the following measures will be implemented starting from tomorrow to facilitate passenger flow during the berthing of cruise ships at the KTCT –
 
(1) For public bus service, the Transport Department will arrange a special bus route 22R, which will provide free service between the KTCT and Kai Tak MTR Station. With regard to the service tomorrow, service from the KTCT to Kai Tak MTR Station will operate from 9.15am to 11.45am; and that from Kai Tak MTR Station to the KTCT will operate from 3pm to 5.30pm. The service tomorrow will be able to accommodate around 2 100 passenger trips.

(2) Three free shuttle bus routes will be introduced to connect the KTCT with popular tourist destinations, including Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier, West Kowloon Cultural District and Kowloon MTR Station; Admiralty MTR Station and Peak Tram Lower Terminus; and Yim Po Fong Street in Mong Kok. The shuttle bus service tomorrow will be able to handle about 500 passenger trips.
 
(3) To enable the taxi trade to be better informed of the real-time demand for taxis at the KTCT, the KTCT operator will, through the instant messaging platform set up with the taxi trade, broadcast information more frequently, including the progress of passenger disembarkation and real-time waiting situation. The Tourism Commission and the Transport Department will also closely monitor the demand and supply of taxis through the instant messaging platform.
 
(4) To enhance taxi service at the KTCT, the KTCT operator will distribute a $50 liquefied petroleum gas cash coupon to each taxi picking up passengers during disembarkation periods of cruise ships, thereby providing incentives to taxi drivers. When the demand of taxis by passengers is more or less addressed, the KTCT operator will announce, through the abovementioned instant messaging platform set up with taxi trade, 10 minutes in advance the cut-off time for distributing the cash coupons, so as to avoid taxis from making wasted trips. That being said, coupons will still be distributed to taxis arriving at the KTCT before the cut-off time even if they do not pick up any passengers.
 
(5) The KTCT operator will disseminate through cruise lines practical information to cruise passengers in advance, including the abovementioned additional bus service and a guide on installing Octopus App for convenient transportation and payment.
 
     A Government spokesperson said, "The Tourism Commission has also communicated with cruise lines and emphasised the importance of arranging staggered disembarkation for passengers. In addition, to cater for any emergency situations, relevant bureaus/departments and stakeholders at the meeting have formulated an emergency mechanism to facilitate cruise passengers to leave or travel to the KTCT smoothly."

  

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, today (August 8) inspected Queen Mary Hospital’s work on the establishment of the Integrated Cardiovascular Diseases Centre. The Centre is expected to enhance the integrated treatment services for cardiovascular diseases, offering more prompt and appropriate one-stop consultation services for cardiovascular diseases to patients.
 
     Accompanied by the Cluster Chief Executive of Hong Kong West Cluster of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Theresa Li, Professor Lo and the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, met with healthcare staff of various specialties of the Centre and received a briefing on the progress of setting up the Centre. They also visited the Accident and Emergency Department, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Coronary Care Unit at the Hospital.
 
     With an ageing population, cardiovascular diseases became one of the three leading causes of death in Hong Kong. Queen Mary Hospital currently handles a large number of patients with cardiovascular diseases every year, among which about 1 500 patients are with acute chest pain symptoms, who are mostly being jointly followed up by different specialties. Establishing the Integrated Cardiovascular Diseases Centres can optimise the diagnosis process and enhance the treatment effectiveness, as such improving the survivorship of patients.
 
     Professor Lo said, “the Chief Executive set out the establishment of the Integrated Cardiovascular Diseases Centres by the HA in last year’s Policy Address. Queen Mary Hospital will be the first hospital to set up such centre.
 
     "I would like to express my gratitude to the healthcare teams of various specialties of Queen Mary Hospital for sparing no effort in setting up the Integrated Cardiovascular Diseases Centre. I am also pleased to learn that the teams have planned and gradually implemented relevant preparatory work, including conducting the pre-hospital 12-lead electrocardiogram in ambulances and sending the images immediately to the Accident and Emergency Department, providing POCT Troponin (POC-hs-cTnI) tests, expediting Cardiology specialist consultations, enhancing acute Cardiology wards and promoting multi-disciplinary collaboration, providing one-stop services to cardiovascular disease patients, so as to improve the diagnosis and treatment process of cardiovascular diseases. With the efforts of the teams, I have every confidence that the high-quality development of the diagnosis cardiovascular diseases can be pressed forward and members of the public can be benefited."