Author Archives: hksar gov

     â€‹The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, together with the Legislative Council Panel on Environmental Affairs, today (August 7) began a duty visit to three cities in the Greater Bay Area.

     The delegation first visited the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province and met with representatives on work related to ecological conservation, environmental pollution prevention, combating climate change, etc, with a view to deepening the exchanges and co-operation between the two places on environmental issues.

     In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Yanling new energy eco-industrial park and Guangzhou public transport command center of the Guangzhou Public Transport Group. They received a briefing from a representative on the operation of electric public transport and electric taxis, as well as their charging facilities, and thus learned about Guangzhou’s experiences and practices for the purpose of promoting the development of green public transport in Hong Kong.

     Mr Tse pointed out that transportation accounts for about 20 per cent of Hong Kong’s total carbon emissions, and the development of green and low-carbon transport is crucial to achieving carbon neutrality. The Government has announced the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles, the Clean Air Plan for Hong Kong 2035, and Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 successively. These initiatives cover policy directions and future targets in various areas promoting the adoption of new energy transport technologies so as to guide Hong Kong towards zero vehicular emissions before 2050.

     Mr Tse and the delegation will continue their visit to the Greater Bay Area tomorrow (August 8), including visits to the Nanhai Hydrogen Center and hydrogen fuel cell tram in Gaoming district in Foshan, and the exhibition hall of Huawei Digital Power AntoHill Headquarters in Shenzhen.

              

     The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at a sports centre in Kwai Chung this morning (August 7), in which a power-operated elevating work platform (EWP) toppled and a male worker, while working on the EWP, fell with it to the ground. He was certified dead later in the hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family.

     The LD’s spokesman said, “We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and will issue suspension notices to the contractors concerned and the occupiers of the premises, suspending the use of the EWP. The contractors and the occupiers of the premises cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken.”

     The spokesman added, “We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”

     The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years on conviction on indictment; or $3 million and imprisonment for six months on summary conviction.

     In regard to today’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and by email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers’ unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.

     The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees’ compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees’ compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.

     For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (August 7) investigating a suspected food poisoning cluster affecting 55 persons, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent foodborne diseases.

     The cluster involved 24 males and 31 females, aged 7 to 49, who developed abdominal pain and diarrhoea about eight to 16 hours after having dinner at a canteen of a campsite in Tai Po on August 6. Thirty-six of the affected persons sought medical advice and all affected persons are in stable condition with no need for hospitalisation. The CHP is currently contacting other affected persons and following up on the incident.

     Initial investigations of the CHP revealed that the affected patients consumed common food. The food concerned was Penne Carbonara. The poisoning might have been caused by Clostridium perfringens and the CHP is arranging the collection of stool specimen of patients for testing in order to ascertain the source of infection.
 
     The personnel from the CHP and the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today conducted an inspection at the canteen. Initial investigations revealed that the reasons causing food poisoning include improper food holding temperatures. The CHP’s investigation is ongoing.
     
     To prevent foodborne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out:
 

• Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
• Avoid eating raw seafood;
• Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters, at a buffet;
• Pre-cooked or leftover foods should be stored and reheated properly before consumption;
• Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before eating during a hotpot or barbecue meal;
• Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process;
• Use two sets of chopsticks and utensils to handle raw and cooked foods;
• Do not patronise illegal food hawkers;
• Drink boiled water;
• Do not try to use salt, vinegar, wine or wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
• Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet. 

     The Department of Health (DH) today (August 7) conducted an operation against the sale of a virility product, namely HE-MINT, which was found to contain an undeclared controlled drug ingredient. During the operation, two women aged 22 and 40 were arrested by the Police for suspected illegal possession, while one of them was also arrested for suspected illegal sale, of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products.

     Acting upon intelligence, the DH purchased a sample of the above product from a retail shop in Tsuen Wan for analysis. Test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the sample contained tadalafil, which is a Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138). The product is also suspected to be an unregistered pharmaceutical product.

     The DH’s investigation is continuing.

     Tadalafil is used for treatment of erectile dysfunction and should only be used under the advice of a doctor. Side effects of tadalafil include low blood pressure, headaches, vomiting, dizziness and transient vision disturbances. It may interact with some drugs (such as nitroglycerin for treatment of angina) and cause a decrease in blood pressure to dangerous levels. Improper use of tadalafil may pose serious health risks, especially for patients with heart problems.

     According to the Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be legally sold in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.

     The DH spokesman strongly urged members of the public not to buy products of unknown or doubtful composition, or to consume products from unknown sources. Members of the public who have purchased the above product should stop consuming it immediately. They should consult healthcare professionals for advice if feeling unwell after consumption. The public may submit the above product to the Drug Office of the DH at Room 1801, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, during office hours for disposal.

     The public may visit the webpage of the DH’s Drug Office’s page for the health message on sexual dysfunction and virility products and information on virility products found to contain undeclared Western medicines.

  

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) sponsored the performance of the Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO) in Berlin as the opening concert of the Young Euro Classic 2023 on August 4 (Berlin time). Alongside the concert, HKETO Berlin hosted a reception to connect with friends, partners and music enthusiasts. 
      
     Conducted by Joseph Bastian, the concert included pieces from the Late Romantic period by Michail Glinka, Gustav Mahler and Edward Elgar. Mahler’s “4th Symphony in G Major” served as the centrepiece of the concert, featuring a soprano solo by Lydia Teuscher from Freiburg. Berlin-born cellist Alban Gerhardt performed Elgar’s cello concerto.
      
     Speaking at the reception, the Deputy Director of HKETO Berlin, Miss Bonnie Ka, highlighted Hong Kong’s dedication to talent promotion and its mission to emerge as a major hub for arts and cultural exchanges. “The Hong Kong Government is committed to supporting young talent, people-to-people exchanges and cultural promotion. The AYO’s tour not only provides a great platform for young musicians to gain experience and learn from each other, but also provides an opportunity to showcase Asian musicians to the world,” Miss Ka said.
      
     Founded in 1987 by Yehudi Menuhin and Richard Pontzious as artistic directors, the AYO has performed over 400 times across Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. The lineup of the AYO changes every year with around 100 members aged 17 to 27 from Hong Kong and other parts of Asia, who are selected through rigorous auditions. By bringing together some of the brightest musical talent every year, the AYO unites East and Southeast Asia on an artistic level.
      
     After their concerts in Berlin and Trier in Germany, the AYO continues their international tour in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. For details on the upcoming events of HKETO Berlin, please visit www.hketoberlin.gov.hk/en/events/.
      
About HKETO Berlin
 
     HKETO Berlin is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.