Hongkong Post announced today (August 1) that, as updated by the postal administration of New Zealand, mail delivery services to Hawke's Bay previously impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle have returned to normal. However, mail delivery services to Tair�whiti/Gisborne are still subject to delay.
​As the Heat Stress at Work Warning is now in effect, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and employees to take appropriate measures during the effective period of the warning to prevent heat stroke when working in hot weather or hot environments.
Employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor environments face high levels of heat stress and are at a relatively higher risk of heat stroke. Employers should assess the risk factors of heat stress for employees at work and, based on the identified risk factors, take necessary preventive and control measures, including rescheduling work periods, setting up shading covers, providing ventilation and heat dissipation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest in a timely manner.
The Heat Stress at Work Warning is formulated by the LD based on the Hong Kong Heat Index. There are three levels of the warning: Amber, Red and Black, which help employers and employees better understand the level of heat stress while working outdoors or indoors without air-conditioning systems.
A spokesman for the LD said that when the department issues the Heat Stress at Work Warning, employers must refer to the criteria and recommendations provided in the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work" to conduct risk assessments, according to the workloads and other relevant heat stress risk factors, for employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor workplaces. Appropriate rest breaks should be arranged every hour, as far as reasonably practicable, based on various levels of the Heat Stress at Work Warning, to reduce employees' risk of heat stroke.
Employees must also follow instructions to rest on time. Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as headache, dizziness, thirst, and nausea, they should rest in a cool and shady place, drink water, and inform employers/supervisors to take appropriate action immediately.
The LD issued the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work", detailing the various risk factors that should be considered when conducting heat stress risk assessments and recommending corresponding control measures for identified risk factors for employers' and employees' reference. For the Heat Stress at Work Warning and related guidelines, please refer to the department's thematic webpage: www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/prevention_of_heat_stroke_at_work.htm.
The 2023 provisional registers of electors/voters and omissions lists for geographical constituencies (GCs), functional constituencies (FCs) and Election Committee subsectors (ECSSs) were released today (August 1). The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) appeals to members of the public to check their registration status and particulars, including their new District Council geographical constituencies (DCGCs), through the voter registration website (vr.gov.hk). Members of the public may also inquire via the REO hotline at 2891 1001 during office hours. For enquiries, they should contact the REO on or before August 25.
Compilation of provisional registers of electors/voters and omissions lists
The 2023 provisional register for GCs contains about 4 329 700 registered electors. In the 2023 voter registration cycle, there are about 31 300 new registration applications and about 657 900 applications for updating particulars from registered electors of GCs. Moreover, the records of about 31 000 and about 81 100 electors have been removed by entering on the omissions list due to death and as a result of other inquiry processes respectively.
As for FCs, the provisional register contains about 205 800 registered electors. The figure has factored in newly registered electors, electors with a change in the FC registered, and electors entered on the omissions lists due to death or as a result of other inquiry processes, etc.
As for ECSSs, the provisional register contains about 7 600 registered voters. The figure has factored in newly registered voters, voters with a change in the ECSS registered, and voters entered on the omissions lists due to death or as a result of other inquiry processes, etc.
"The REO has earlier mailed confirmation notices for new registration or change of registration particulars to the relevant electors/voters. Those who have provided mobile phone numbers or email addresses would have received the messages concerned," a spokesman for the REO said.
DCGCs
The District Councils (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 (the Ordinance) was published in the Gazette and came into effect on July 10. The delineation of DCGCs for the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election also came into effect on the same day. In accordance with the District Councils Ordinance (Cap. 547) as amended by the Ordinance, the boundaries of the 18 districts remain unchanged and there are 44 DCGCs in the 18 districts. Electors may check their DCGCs by visiting the voter registration website.
Prompt reply to reminding letters if requested
For electors/voters entered on the omissions lists, if they receive a reminding letter from the REO asking for a response, they should submit the reply slip or provide supplementary information as instructed as early as possible. The envelopes of the reminding letters are beige in colour and with a message, "Immediate action required. Your voting right is at stake" printed in red. Recipients must reply on or before August 25 as per the letter's instructions so that they may, with the Revising Officer's approval, resume their registration status and be included in the final registers of electors/voters.
Lodging statutory claims and objections
Any electors/voters entered on the omissions lists; any individuals/bodies who have applied for registration but no such record is in the relevant provisional register(s); or any registered elector/voter with incorrect particulars recorded in the relevant provisional register(s), may lodge a claim in person with the REO. Also, anyone considers an individual/body in the provisional register(s) not eligible to be so registered may lodge an objection in person with the REO. The statutory period for lodging claims or objections ends on August 25. The Revising Officer will consider the evidence provided by the applicant and make a ruling according to law.
The specified forms for lodging claims and objections can be downloaded from the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/appeal.htm) or obtained from the REO (8/F, Treasury Building, 3 Tonkin Street West, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, or 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon) and all Home Affairs Enquiry Centres.
Information on the hearings of the claims and objections will be uploaded to the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/appeal.htm) before the day of the hearing for reference by the persons concerned and members of the public.
Arrangements for inspection of provisional registers of electors/voters and omissions lists
All individuals or body electors may check their registration status and particulars, including whether they have been entered into the omission lists, through the voter registration website (vr.gov.hk). Besides, the provisional registers of electors/voters and omissions lists for GCs, FCs and ECSSs are available for inspection by specified persons from today until August 25 at the REO's two offices, located at 8/F, Treasury Building, 3 Tonkin Street West, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, and 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon.
According to the law, only bodies/organisations meeting the specified requirements and members of the press who are subscribers of the Government News and Media Information System are entitled to inspect a copy of provisional registers and omissions lists of individual electors/voters for GCs, FCs and ECSSs. Only the first Chinese character or the first word of the name (depending on the language in which the name is recorded) of an individual elector/voter, his/her registered residential address and constituency/subsector are shown on the registers and omissions lists for inspection. A copy of the registers for FCs and ECSSs, which contains only the entries of corporate electors/voters, is available for inspection by the public.
The REO will provide four inspection time slots (one hour and 30 minutes per slot) on each working day (Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays) from today to August 25. Appointments to inspect may be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Each person may reserve one inspection time slot per day.
Appointments to inspect may be made by calling 2891 4082 or 2891 2070 from 9am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays, except public holidays. Upon initial reservation by phone, applicants are required to complete and return an REO-issued reservation form by a specified deadline to confirm the reservation.
Other information
More statistical information about the provisional registers is available on the voter registration website (vr.gov.hk).
The REO will publish the final registers of electors/voters on or before September 25.
Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 1) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Shek O Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island; Pui O Beach in Islands District; and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.
The Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU) launched a territory-wide publicity drive for the Hong Kong Taxi Drivers “Spot and Report” Campaign today (August 1) which features activities like making appeals via radio broadcasts, displaying posters and banners at gas filling stations and entrances to tunnels, with a view to building a safe community in collaboration with the public.
According to government statistics, there are over 18,000 taxis and about 46,000 active taxi drivers in Hong Kong. Driving around different districts in Hong Kong every day, taxi drivers come into contact with a wide range of people and activities, and may even come across terrorism and violence related, or other crime information. It reflects that the taxi sector plays an important role as a gatekeeper of the safety of the community.
In view of this, the taxi sector is the ICTU’s key engagement target. Through the Transport Department (TD), the ICTU has reached out to over 40 taxi associations and companies, covering major ones in Hong Kong. While introducing to them the Campaign, the ICTU also promoted counter-terrorism (CT) and anti-crime information including how to identify suspicious persons, objects or activities and encouraged members of the sector to report crime information in a timely manner. The ICTU will also disseminate important information to all taxi drivers in Hong Kong through sector representatives so as to safeguard the community and ensure safety during the journeys.
An opening ceremony for the Hong Kong Taxi Drivers “Spot and Report” Campaign was held at West Kowloon Government Offices on July 25. It was officiated by the Senior Superintendent of the ICTU, Mr Leung Wai-ki, with active support from the representatives of taxi associations. Apart from distributing leaflets and souvenirs, the ICTU together with the representatives affixed promotional stickers on the theme of “Safe Journey, Spot and Report” in taxi compartments. Following the ceremony, the ICTU delivered a briefing at the TD’s Taxi Trade Conference to enhance the sector’s CT and anti-crime awareness as well as their emergency response capabilities.
With increasing public awareness of CT, the Police have recently received several proactive reports from zealous taxi drivers which led to the arrest of offenders. There were two such cases in June alone this year. During the month, a taxi driver saw several people holding weapons on a street in Tuen Mun, while another witnessed similar situation in Sheung Shui. Both of them immediately called the Police, resulting in the effective prevention of two criminal gang fights with a total of seven arrests. In July this year, a taxi driver also spotted and reported a suspicious passenger in Tai Wai, which led to the swift arrest of a male suspect for “Trafficking in Dangerous Drugs”.
Besides, the ICTU granted a “CT Reward” for the first time to the informant of a bomb hoax case in March this year. The informant, who was a professional driver, noticed that his passengers were plotting a violent attack. His report eventually led to the conviction of two suspects. The above cases indicate that reports from drivers are absolutely crucial to crime and terrorism prevention.
In the future, the ICTU will continue to work with the taxi sector in disseminating important CT and anti-crime messages to taxi drivers and sector representatives through various promotional campaigns. The ICTU will join hands with taxi drivers and the sector in combatting terrorism and building a safe community.
To effectively promote “Whole-of-Community” participation in CT, the ICTU launched the “CT Reporting Hotline” 63-666-999 and “CT Reward” in June last year. As at mid-July, over 20,000 reporting messages had been received by the Hotline, involving more than 5,000 informants.