Police today (July 2) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sham Shui Po.

     Lo Wai-tong, aged 61, went missing after he left his residence on Poplar Street in the small hours yesterday (July 1). His family made a report to Police on the same day.  
     
     He is about 1.65 metres tall, 68 kilograms in weight and of fat build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing an apricot short-sleeved T-shirt and dark blue sneakers.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8036 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (July 2) that it has appointed a Review Committee on the Management of the Public Hospital System (the Committee) to review several recent incidents in connection with hospital operations and facilities, and conduct a comprehensive systemic review on the governance, appraisal, accountability, operations, risk control and compliance at HA Head Office, clusters, hospitals, service units/teams and staff levels.
 
     The Committee will review the following aspects relating to quality and patient safety:
 

1. mechanisms for monitoring performance and compliance in clinical guidelines and organisational procedures;
2. systems for internal risk control including identification, assessment and mitigation at all levels;
3. systems for management accountability and staff appraisals to accord with performance, compliance and risk-control mechanisms; and
4. incident response arrangements including communications and announcements.

 
     Membership of the Committee is as follows:
 
Chairman
Professor Fok Tai-fai
 
Members
Ms Sylvia Fung
Dr Lawrence Lai
Mr Daniel Lam
Dr David Lam
Dr Joseph Lui
Dr Lui Siu-fai
Mr Tim Pang

  The HA expects the Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the systemic issues in public hospitals with a view to enhancing the quality of healthcare and patient safety. The establishment of the Committee embodies the HA's commitment to the continuous improvement of the public healthcare system. The Committee will put forward its recommendations to the HA Board within three months to ensure that public hospitals provide quality healthcare services to the public.

     In order to continuously build a "Sport for All" culture in the community, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will hold the Sport For All Day (SFAD) 2024 on August 4 (Sunday). Most leisure facilities under the purview of the LCSD will be open for free use, and a series of free recreation and sports programmes will be held in designated sports centres across districts. Members of the public are welcome to participate in the event. Participants can also watch live webcast of sports demonstrations at home to exercise in a fun way.
      
     To implement the policy measure relating to the promotion of sports for all as specified in the 2023 Policy Address, the LCSD will collaborate with the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), over 10 sports organisations and private reactional organisations to hold free recreation and sports programmes for the public to join, or open up their facilities for free use on this year's SFAD.
      
     The slogan of the SFAD 2024 will remain "Stay Active, Healthy and Happy!" to encourage people of all ages and abilities to engage in regular sports and physical activities, and promote the benefits of exercise for the body and mind. The theme of this year's event is "Parent-child Exercise for Fun and Fitness", aiming to introduce parent-child fitness exercises to encourage members of the public to pursue healthier bodies and better relationships among family members.
      
     On the event day, the LCSD will hold diversified and free recreation and sports programmes from 2pm to 6pm at designated sports centres in 18 districts, including health talks, fitness corners, sports demonstrations and participation activities for the elderly and persons with disabilities, as well as parent-child exercises to tie in with the theme of the event. Participants and their families can enjoy the fun in sports while joining the activities.
      
     The 2024 Paris Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be held soon. To help create an Olympic atmosphere, the SFAD 2024 will feature activities on some selected Olympic sports in order to promote the public understanding of them and cheer for the athletes.
      
     Sports demonstrations will be featured in a live webcast via the event dedicated website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/sfad) and the "LCSD Plusss" Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LCSDPlusss) on the event day from 2pm. Members of the public can experience the vigour of sports demonstrations at home through online platforms.
 
     At the same time, various LCSD leisure facilities will also be open for free use by the public on the Sport For All Day 2024 to develop a habit of regular exercise. Booking arrangements will be announced in mid-July.

     The leisure facilities to be available for free use on August 4 include:
 

• Indoor leisure facilities: badminton courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, netball courts, volleyball courts, squash courts, table tennis tables, American pool tables, billiard tables, sport climbing walls*, bowling greens, golf facilities, fitness rooms*, activity rooms, dance rooms and a cycling track*;
• Outdoor leisure facilities: tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, sport climbing walls*, archery ranges* and golf facilities (excluding camp facilities, sports grounds as well as artificial and natural turf pitches);
• Public swimming pools (excluding Wan Chai Swimming Pool, and Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool and Tung Cheong Street Swimming Pool which are temporarily closed for redevelopment and repair works respectively); and
• Craft at water sports centres* (recreational kayaks, pedal-driven boats, sampans and colour boats at Chong Hing Water Sports Centre are available for free use by campers only).

     * Citizens who book these types of facilities must hold the relevant qualification certificates. For details, please visit the thematic website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/sfad.

     The SF&OC will set up an SFAD activity booth at the "Sport for All Fun Day" of Festival of Sports, which will be held at the Free Space in Kwun Tong Town Centre from 11am to 6pm on August 3 and 4, aiming to further enhance public interest in sporting activities. For the details of the event, please visit the website of the SF&OC at fos.hkolympic.org/en/programme/event-list. Furthermore, to echo the SFAD 2024, more than 10 organisations will hold free recreation and sports programmes for the public to join, or open up their facilities for free use on the day of the event. Details are available on the dedicated webpage (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/sfad/2024/organizations.html).
      
     The Sport For All Day 2024 is co-organised by the SF&OC; Department of Health; the Sports Medicine Team of the Chinese University of Hong Kong; the Sports Medicine and Health Science Alumni Association of the Chinese University of Hong Kong; the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China; and the Sports Association for the Physically Disabled of Hong Kong, China. Please visit the dedicated website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/sfad for details.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (July 2) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     From June 23 to 29, the CHP recorded two community-acquired LD cases and one imported LD case:
 

1. A male patient, aged 48 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Tuen Mun District;
2. A male patient, aged 77 with underlying illnesses, who had been to the Mainland during the incubation period and was classified as an imported case; and
3. A male patient, aged 62 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Wan Chai District.

     "Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     As of June 29, 51 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2023 and 2022, there were 121 and 80 cases respectively.

     "Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels," the spokesman said.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and
• If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily. 

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     â€‹The public should observe the health advice below:
          

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes: 

1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     â€‹â€‹The public may visit the CHP's LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP's risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (July 2) that open auctions for a total of 240 stalls in 38 public markets will be held in July.

     The retail commodities allowed for sale in these stalls cover cooked food, frozen meat, fresh meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, ready-to-eat food, food-related dry goods and wet goods, non-food related dry goods and wet goods, service trades (including manicures, beauty and Chinese medicine practitioners), siu mei and lo mei, etc. The tenancy agreement is a three-year fixed term from August 1, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on the sizes, locations and vacancy periods of the individual stalls. The upset prices for the stalls in an open auction will be initially fixed at 80 per cent of the open market rent (OMR) if the stalls have been vacant for over six months, and at 60 per cent of the OMR if the vacant period has been over eight months. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "Bidders for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to bid for the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls to be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is not allowed to bid in the first round of auction for any stall in the same market, and will only be allowed to bid for one stall in the second round of auction. The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed term tenancy scheme (i.e. those persons who became stall tenants through the market open auctions after August 2022) are allowed to bid for a stall in the same market in the auction, but shall deliver vacant possession of the current stall to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the tenancy agreement. The terms and conditions of the auctions have been uploaded to the FEHD website, with details of qualifications of the bidders listed."

     The date and venue of the auctions and the number of stalls are as follows:

Kowloon (except Lai Wan Market)
———-
Auction date: July 9 (Tuesday) (am)
Auction venue: Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon
Number of stalls: 50

Lai Wan Market
——————–
Auction date: July 9 (Tuesday) (pm)
Auction venue: Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon
Number of stalls: two

Hong Kong Island (except Aberdeen Market)
————————————————–
Auction date: July 10 (Wednesday) (am)
Auction venue: Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon
Number of stalls: 74

Aberdeen Market
——————-
Auction date: July 10 (Wednesday) (pm)
Auction venue: Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon
Number of stalls: 14

New Territories (1)
—————–
Auction date: July 11 (Thursday)
Auction venue: Assembly Hall, 1/F, Tai Po Community Centre, 2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
Number of stalls: 48

New Territories (2)
—————–
Auction date: July 16 (Tuesday)
Auction venue: Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon
Number of stalls: 52

     Except for the New Territories auction (1) which will be held at the Assembly Hall at 1/F, Tai Po Community Centre, 2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po, on July 11 (Thursday), the remaining auctions (including the New Territories auction (2) to be held on July 16 (Tuesday)) will be held at Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission tickets will be issued 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each auction. Persons who want to attend the auctions must wait at the waiting area of the auction venue and produce their Hong Kong identity card or passport for registration. The registered person will then be provided with an admission ticket for the auctions. In addition, eligible bidders after verification will be issued with a bidding paddle for the auction. The FEHD has also invited representatives of the Police, the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Competition Commission to monitor the auctions at the auction venue in order to ensure that the open auctions are conducted in an orderly and fair manner.

     Details of the open auctions and the public market stalls concerned (including stalls for open auction at reduced upset prices) have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/open_auction_coming.html). Bidders interested in the auctions may visit the department website or contact the respective District Environmental Hygiene Office.
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