The Transport Department (TD) today (December 6) reminded the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in phases on Hong Kong Island to facilitate the holding of a public procession on Sunday (December 8).
 
     The special traffic and transport arrangements will mainly include:

Road closures
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1. From about 1.30pm, the roads in the vicinity of the Causeway Bay shopping area (such as Sugar Street and Great George Street) will be closed;

2. From about 2pm, the roads in the vicinity of Victoria Park (such as Causeway Road westbound, Yee Wo Street westbound and Hennessy Road westbound) will be closed; and

3. From about 3.30pm, the roads in the vicinity from Admiralty to Central (such as Queensway westbound and the section of Des Voeux Road Central between Pedder Street and Queensway) will be closed.

Public transport services
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     A total of 92 bus routes and 14 green minibus routes operating in the affected areas will be temporarily diverted, one bus and one green minibus route will be temporarily suspended. In addition, the tram services between Tong Shui Road and Pedder Street will be suspended.
 
     Due to extensive road closure in the affected areas, the TD anticipates that the traffic along Hong Kong Island North (including Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Admiralty, Central and the vicinity of the Island Eastern Corridor) as well as the Aberdeen Tunnel and the Cross-Harbour Tunnel will become significantly congested. Motorists are advised to be patient in case of traffic congestion when driving in the vicinity, follow the Police's instructions and be alert to the latest traffic news through the media.
 
     Members of the public are advised to use public transport services, in particular railway and ferry services, and avoid driving to the affected or congested areas, especially in the vicinity of Tin Hau, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Admiralty and Central, unless necessary. Early planning of journeys and use of alternative travelling routes are advised to avoid unexpected delay. The public transport operators will display notices to inform passengers of the temporary arrangements. Public transport commuters are advised to pay attention to the arrangements of route diversions and suspension and relocation of stops. The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures whenever necessary. 
 
     For details on the special traffic and transport arrangements, members of the public can call 1823 or browse the TD's mobile application "HKeMobility" or website (www.td.gov.hk).

     A woman was fined $10,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (December 6) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
           
     The courts heard that in September this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Bedford Road in Tai Kok Tsui. During the inspection, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in the guesthouse on a daily basis.
           
     According to the OLA's records, the guesthouse did not possess a licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. The woman responsible for operating the premises was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
           
     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and can lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.
           
     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 6) that a sample of prepackaged bamboo fungi was found to contain sulphur dioxide, a preservative, at a level exceeding the legal limit, and the functional class and name of the additive were not declared on the food label. Members of the public should not consume the affected batch of the product. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it.
 
     Product details are as follows: 
 
Product name: Dictyophora indusiata/Dried bamboo fungi
Brand: (Not available in English)
Place of origin: China
Packer: (Not available in English)
Net weight: 100 grams per pack
Use-by date: September 23, 2021
 
     "The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample of bamboo fungi from a shop in Hung Hom for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained sulphur dioxide at a level of 6,730 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 500 ppm. The functional class and name of the additive were also not declared on the food label," a CFS spokesman said.
 
     "The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularities and instructed it to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected batch of the product. The importer and supplier concerned has initiated a recall according to the CFS' instructions. Members of the public may call its hotline at 9655 5833 during office hours for enquiries about the recall. The CFS is also tracing the source of the affected product," the spokesman added.
 
     Sulphur dioxide is a commonly used preservative in a variety of foods including dried vegetables, dried fruits, pickled vegetables and salted fish products. This preservative is of low toxicity. As it is water soluble, most of it can be removed through washing and cooking. However, susceptible individuals who are allergic to this preservative may experience breathing difficulties, headache and nausea after consumption.
 
     The spokesman reminded the food trade that the use of preservatives in food must comply with the Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap 132BD). Furthermore, the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap 132W) require that for all prepackaged food for sale in Hong Kong containing sulphite in a concentration of 10 parts per million or more, the functional class of the sulphite and its name shall be specified in the list of ingredients. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment upon conviction.
 
     The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     Details of the meetings of the Legislative Council (LegCo) and its Committees to be held in the LegCo Complex during the week from December 9 to 14 are available in the meeting schedule attached.
 
     The information in the meeting schedule is subject to change. Please refer to the "LegCo Calendar" on the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk) for the latest details of meetings.
 
     Members of the public are welcome to observe open meetings of LegCo and its Committees. Interested individuals and groups are advised to make advance booking of seats by calling the LegCo Secretariat at 3919 3399 during office hours. Members of the public can also listen to or watch all open meetings via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The HKMC Insurance Limited (HKMCI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited, announces that, with the approval of the funding by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council today (December 6), the 90 per cent Guarantee Product under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme (SFGS) will be introduced. The 90 per cent Guarantee Product aims to provide additional support to smaller-sized enterprises, businesses with relatively less operating experience, as well as professionals seeking to set up their own practices, to obtain financing.
 
     A total of HK$33 billion will be guaranteed by the Government for the 90 per cent Guarantee Product. Each eligible enterprise can obtain guarantee for term loans up to HK$6 million, with a maximum guarantee period of five years and the same guarantee fee rate as the existing 80 per cent Guarantee Product. The HKMCI is actively undertaking the final preparatory work with the lenders, and strives to start receiving applications before the end of this year. The application period will last until June 30, 2022.
 
     Further announcement will be made upon finalisation of the date of receiving applications. For public enquiries, please call the SFGS Hotline at 2536 0392.