The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, will depart for Beijing tomorrow (December 22) to meet the relevant Mainland authorities.
 
     Professor Chan will call on the National Health Commission, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) and the National Medical Products Administration on December 23. She will brief the relevant Mainland authorities on various healthcare aspects in Hong Kong including the development of Chinese medicine and the latest development of the first Chinese medicine hospital. She will also sign a co-operation agreement with NATCM on the training of Hong Kong's Chinese medicine practitioners in the Mainland.
 
     The following day, Professor Chan will visit the General Administration of Customs (GAC) to witness the signing of the collaboration arrangement on e-certificates between the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the GAC with an aim of building an effective transfer mechanism for e-certificates, fostering collaboration on data exchange of quarantine certificates between both sides as well as stepping up gate-keeping work on food safety.
 
     Professor Chan said, "The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) will continue to strengthen exchanges and collaboration with the relevant Mainland authorities to improve the public health system and enhance the arrangement of verifying health certificates by food regulating authorities of the two sides with a view to further enhancing the safety of the food supply to Hong Kong."
 
     Officials accompanying Professor Chan on the visit include the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health), Ms Elizabeth Tse; the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food), Mr Philip Yung; the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan; the Acting Controller of the Centre for Food Safety of the FEHD, Dr Edwin Tsui; and the Project Director of the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office of the FHB, Dr Cheung Wai-lun. The Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Mr Henry Fan, and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko, will also join the visit.
 
     Professor Chan will return to Hong Kong on December 24. The Under Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, will be the Acting Secretary for Food and Health during her absence.

     The Transport Department (TD) today (December 21) said that owing to the collaborative efforts of various departments, all traffic lights have resumed normal operation.

     Since June, about 740 sets of traffic lights in various districts have been damaged to varying degrees. Some traffic lights were repeatedly damaged and the ones in Yau Tsim Mong District were the most seriously affected. The damage in October and November has been more serious than in earlier months, with a number of controllers and components damaged. In cases where such facilities were burnt, underground cables would have to be replaced. With the co-ordination and joint efforts by relevant departments, the repair works of all the damaged traffic lights have been completed. The departments will continue to strengthen the protection measures of the traffic lights. 

     Traffic lights play an important role in the road network as they can effectively co-ordinate the traffic at junctions and ensure road safety. Pedestrian traffic lights can assist people in safely crossing the road. They are particularly essential for the elderly and people with disabilities. Traffic lights equipped with electronic audible traffic signals are important to the visually impaired as the signals help guide them across the street.

     For the safety of road users, the TD again appealed to the public to stop damaging traffic lights and other road facilities.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (December 21) that Tung Chung Swimming Pool in Islands District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of vomit in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 6pm today.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep the swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming.

     A man who went missing in Kwun Tong has been located.

     Wong Tsun-wai, aged 24, went missing after he was last seen in Tak Tin Estate on October 25 afternoon. His family made a report to Police on October 29.   

     Police located the man in a park on Mody Road yesterday afternoon (December 20). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting today (December 21).

     The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

     Appropriate traffic signs will be put up and police will be on hand to guide motorists.
 
     The Police also appeal to people going to Sha Tin Racecourse for the race meeting and to Happy Valley Racecourse for cross betting to make maximum use of public transport.

     Parking spaces at the two racecourses are available only to holders of appropriate permits issued by Hong Kong Jockey Club and any vehicles illegally parked will be towed away.