The Task Force on District Governance chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration (DCS), Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, convened the first meeting today (July 20) to proactively follow up on the implementation of initiatives endorsed by the Steering Committee on District Governance in respect of five key district issues.
 
      Mr Cheuk said, "District governance is inextricably related to people's livelihood. The Government will endeavour to improve district governance with a view to addressing issues of concerns to the community. I will be fully committed at the Task Force to spearheading and co-ordinating district work, steering departments to implement policy measures and follow up on district issues, such that the Government's services at the district level can be more effective and targeted in response to the needs of the public."
 
      The Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration (CS) held the first meeting on July 12 and formulated strategies in relation to five key areas of community interests. The Task Force discussed at the meeting the implementation details and timetable as follows:
 
(1) Expanding after-school care service and enhancing support for parents
 
The Social Welfare Department (SWD) will launch the School-based After School Care Service Pilot Scheme in the new school year to allow students in need to stay after school to receive care and learning support. The Education Bureau has started identifying primary schools with more target students (underprivileged/single-parent families) in districts with a higher concentration of subdivided unit households (namely Kowloon City, Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kwun Tong, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan). The target is to commence a one-year programme starting from this September and provide 50 primary schools with a maximum of 3 000 service quotas in total.
 
(2) Caring for the elderly and enhancing community support
 
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will replace and improve existing fitness equipment in various districts, including firstly setting up additional fitness equipment for the elderly in 12 leisure venues in this financial year, increase recreational activities suitable for elderly, and provide umbrellas for loan to the elderly in need on a trial basis in 18 major parks across the territory in the fourth quarter of this year.
 
The SWD will strengthen its resources and efforts in identifying and caring for elders in need, including identifying hidden elders and carers in need through home visits by the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) for referral to the SWD and social welfare units for follow-up and support. The target is to launch trials with the Care Teams of Tsuen Wan and Southern Districts by the end of this year.
 
(3) Fostering clean markets and mobilising the community to participate in anti-rodent work
 
In addition to stepping up efforts to clear up locations with ongoing irregularities, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will improve the environmental hygiene of public markets and cooked food markets on various fronts, including improving the hardware of toilets in about 30 venues and their cleansing services; strengthening inspection and enforcement against irregularities such as shopfront extensions by stalls; and expediting the overhaul of market stalls by utilising "Design for Manufacture and Assembly" and "Modular Integrated Construction" on a trial basis at suitable venues on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories.
 
The FEHD will also adopt a multi-pronged approach in enhancing anti-rodent work, including strengthening overnight rodent control teams; active adoption of new rodent detection and control technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence and thermal imaging); joining hands with relevant departments to drive participation by all sectors in anti-rodent work, etc.
 
(4) Enhancing public order and combatting crimes on all fronts
 
The Police will further strengthen patrol coverage as well as the work and visibility of enforcement, and step up patrols and installation of closed-circuit television at crime blackspots and crowded hotspots based on risk assessment and district intelligence. The Customs and Excise Department will also intensify its efforts in combatting illicit cigarettes, copyright infringement offences and unfair trade practices, including conducting patrols at popular tourist shopping spots and parallel trading hotspots.
 
(5) Improving pedestrian facilities and ensuring road safety
 
The Highways Department will expand the repaving of footpaths, with the target of firstly commencing works on a total of 20 sections of public footpaths by the end of this year. The Transport Department will also install new auxiliary devices with red light beam projections at pedestrian crossing blackspots in various districts, with the target of completing installation at a total of 100 locations by the end of next year.
 
     The above apart, the Task Force also reviewed the experience of displaying publicity materials in celebration of the 26th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and instructed departments to start preparatory work for making related arrangements to mark the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Task Force also received report on the work of the Care Teams and directed Care Teams to enhance co-operation with departments in suitable service areas.
 
     Mr Cheuk pointed out to attending Heads of Departments that the Central Government attaches great importance to the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in improving district governance. He urged departments to actively follow up on related work and demonstrate to the community that the Hong Kong civil service is efficient, outstanding and wholeheartedly working for the people, with a view to enhancing the public’s sense of achievement and contentment.
 
　　He continued, "I am confident that under the refined district governance structure, with the collective efforts and collaboration of departments, we will certainly be able to live up to our mandate and succeed in accomplishing the mission."
 
      The Government announced on May 2 the proposals on improving district governance, which include reforming the District Councils and strengthening the district governance structure. Under the new district governance structure, the Steering Committee chaired by the CS will be responsible for taking a leading role in the overall strategies, policies and measures, work priorities and resource allocation of district governance, whereas the Task Force chaired by the DCS will be responsible for steering and co-ordinating the district work of various bureaux and departments, implementing the poilicies and measures concerned, and, as necessary, co-ordinating inter-departmental and/or cross-district issues.
 
     The terms of reference and membership of the Task Force are in Annex I and Annex II respectively.

    

     â€‹The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, concluded his visit to Guangzhou and Zhaoqing today (July 20).

     Mr Tse visited Nansha District of Guangzhou yesterday morning (July 19). He first visited a high-rise pig farm to learn about the technology and operation of modernised pig farms. The pig farm is currently the highest livestock complex in Guangdong Province. Thereafter, he also visited a vegetable farm and received a briefing from a representative of the farm on their advanced facilities and agricultural product safety tracking system.

     Yesterday afternoon, Mr Tse visited the Guangdong International Fishery High Tech Park and exchanged views on aquaculture, recreational fishing, integrated training and services schemes, etc. He also learnt about the high-density closed recirculating aquaculture system adopted in the Park. Thereafter, he visited the Vegetable Basket Project (Zengcheng) Customs Clearance Facilitation Zone of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The Zone, which came into operation in mid-2020, aims to strengthen the co-operation in the food safety of agricultural products in the GBA and enhance the quality of agricultural products.

     Mr Tse visited Conghua Racecourse this morning together with the Director-General of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guangdong Province, Mr Liu Zonghui; the Executive Director of Corporate Affairs of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Raymond Tam; and the Executive Director of Racing of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Andrew Harding, to exchange views on deepening co-operation between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on matters such as developing the GBA's equine industry. Conghua Racecourse is the first thoroughbred horse training centre and a racecourse on the Mainland that meets the highest world standards, providing a support base for horses in Hong Kong to travel along the biosecurity passage between Hong Kong and the Equine Disease Free Zone in Conghua for training purposes.

     Mr Tse returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.

                

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the Tin Shui Wai (Tin Yip Road) Community Health Centre (CHC) this afternoon (July 20) to get a better grasp of the operation of the CHC and how its services are complementing the Government's policy initiatives in enhancing primary healthcare development.
 
     Accompanied by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Tony Ko, and the Cluster Chief Executive of New Territories West Cluster of the HA, Dr Wong Yiu-chung, Professor Lo received an introduction by CHC staff on the primary healthcare services (including general out-patient services, treatment for episodic illnesses and chronic diseases, and nursing services) as well as the pharmaceutical services available at the CHC.
 
     Professor Lo was delighted to learn that the Tin Shui Wai (Tin Yip Road) CHC, which is the city's first CHC designed to fit the Government's primary healthcare development strategy and service model, has been striving to provide citizens with integrated multi-disciplinary medical, nursing and allied health services since its commencement in 2012. Their services strengthen the support to patients' daily healthcare at the community level and minimise their need for hospitalisation, thereby alleviating the pressure on the public healthcare system.
 
     The CHCs under the HA generally provide services including medical consultations as well as health risk assessments and specific care services delivered by multi-disciplinary teams for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, with a view to reducing the risk of complications and medical attention needs of chronic patients. Healthcare professionals of the CHCs also offer other services such as wound care, fall risk assessment and management, smoking cessation counselling and dietetic advice. Moreover, patient empowerment services and facilities are available at the CHCs to assist patients to utilise community resources and strengthen their ability in disease management.
 
     Professor Lo pointed out that the ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in Hong Kong have exerted considerable pressure on the public healthcare system. The Primary Healthcare Blueprint released in December last year highlights a series of reform measures to ramp up primary healthcare services in Hong Kong. It is the Government's aim to shift the emphasis of the healthcare system from its current treatment-oriented, hospital-based structure to a prevention-focused, community-based system.
 
     To this end, the Government will launch the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Scheme) later this year. Adopting a government-participant co-payment model, the CDCC Scheme will enable Hong Kong residents aged 45 or above to enjoy personalised, convenient and time-saving private primary healthcare services in a pleasant environment at affordable prices, thus releasing public healthcare resources as well as enabling the public healthcare system to focus on being the basic safety net for the public to provide more quality services to socially disadvantaged groups.

                

     â€‹The Transport Department (TD) reminded the public today (July 20) that the HKeToll will be implemented in the Cross-Harbour Tunnel from 5am this Sunday (July 23). Motorists can drive through the toll plaza and pay tunnel tolls using HKeToll without having to stop or queue at toll booths for payments. All manual toll booths and Autotoll lanes will be cancelled.

     To tie in with the implementation of the HKeToll, temporary traffic arrangements will be implemented in phases in the vicinity of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel starting from 1am on July 23. Both directions of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and its connecting roads will be closed from 4am to 5am on July 23. During the closure of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, nine overnight franchised bus routes (Route Nos. N11, N118, N121, N122, N170, N171, N182, N373, N368) and one overnight green minibus route (Route No. 49S) will be diverted via the Eastern Harbour Crossing or the Western Harbour Crossing. The traffic and transport arrangements are in Annex 1 and Annex 2.

     As of July 19, about 800 000 vehicle tags had been issued, accounting for about 97 per cent of licensed vehicles in Hong Kong, of which about 85 per cent had opened HKeToll accounts. The HKeToll collected tolls of about 200 000 vehicle trips on an average per day at Tsing Sha Control Area, Shing Mun Tunnels and Lion Rock Tunnel. With the progressive implementation of the HKeToll in government tolled tunnels this year, the TD once again appealed to vehicle owners to complete the three steps for HKeToll service as soon as possible: (1) install a vehicle tag, (2) open an HKeToll account and (3) set up an automatic payment means, so as to fully enjoy the convenience of the HKeToll.

     If vehicle owners need assistance, they can browse the HKeToll website, call the 24-hour customer service hotline 3853 7333, or visit the four customer service centres, four service outlets, government car park service counters, and consultation counters located at designated MTR stations and Home Affairs Enquiry Centres in the District Offices. The locations and service hours of the facilities are shown in Annex 3.

     Following the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, the Government plans to implement the HKeToll at the Western Harbour Crossing and the Eastern Harbour Crossing in August. Details will be announced separately.

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (July 20) investigating an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) at a kindergarten-cum-child care centre in Fanling, and hence reminded the public and management of institutions to maintain personal and environmental hygiene against AGE.

     The outbreak involves 18 pupils, comprising eight boys and 10 girls aged 3 to 6, and two staff members. They developed vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain since July 18. Fourteen of the affected pupils sought medical attention, three of whom required hospitalisation. All patients are in stable condition.

     The CHP's epidemiological investigation revealed that the outbreak has a higher chance of person-to-person transmission or environmental contamination, while the chance of involving food poisoning is relatively low.

     Officers of the CHP have conducted a site visit and provided health advice to the staff of the kindergarten-cum-child care centre concerning proper and thorough disinfection, proper disposal of vomitus, and personal and environmental hygiene. The kindergarten-cum-child care centre has been put under medical surveillance.

     Investigations are ongoing.

     A spokesman for the CHP reminded that alcohol-based handrub should not substitute hand hygiene with liquid soap and water, as alcohol does not effectively kill some viruses frequently causing AGE, e.g. norovirus. Members of the public are advised to take heed of the following preventive measures against gastroenteritis:
 

• Ensure proper personal hygiene;
• Wash hands thoroughly before handling food and eating, after using the toilet or after changing diapers;
• Wear gloves when disposing of vomitus or faecal matter, and wash hands afterwards;
• Clean and disinfect contaminated areas or items promptly and thoroughly with diluted household bleach (by adding one part of bleach containing 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite to 49 parts of water). Wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• Pay attention to food hygiene;
• Use separate utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Avoid food that is not thoroughly cooked;
• Drink boiled water; and
• Do not patronise unlicensed food premises or food stalls.

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     The public may visit the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk) or call the DH's Health Education Infoline (2833 0111) for more information.