â€‹Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 28) conducted an anti-smuggling operation and detected a suspected smuggling case using fishing vessels in the southeast waters of Hong Kong. About 540 tonnes of suspected smuggled frozen meat with an estimated market value of about $50 million were seized. This is the largest frozen meat smuggling case detected by Customs in the past decade.

     Customs earlier conducted an in-depth investigation on a smuggling syndicate and took enforcement action yesterday. Customs officers spotted four suspicious fishing vessels leaving Hong Kong in the southeast waters of Hong Kong and took immediate action to intercept the fishing vessels for examination. The batch of suspected smuggled frozen meat was seized on board the vessels.

     In the operation, six men aged between 52 and 64 were arrested.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

    

     The Government announced today (November 29) the re-appointment of Mr Wong Yan-lung, SC, as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health and the re-appointment of 18 incumbent members as well as the appointment of four new members for a two-year term from December 1, 2019, to November 30, 2021.
 
     The four newly appointed members are Dr Patrick Ip Pak-keung (a paediatrician), Ms Jolene Mui (a psychiatric nurse), Mr Ricky Leung Wai-kay (a primary school principal) and Ms Lily Chan (a carer of persons with mental health needs).
 
     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Chairman and members of the Committee for their valuable advice in the past two years. She also thanked the four outgoing members, Ms Glendy Ip Suk-han, Dr Josephine Grace Wong Wing-san, Mr Dicky Lam Ka-hong and Miss Twiggy Chan Cheuk-ki for their contributions to the work of the Committee during their tenure.
 
     The Committee, established in December 2017, advises the Government on mental health policies, including the establishment of more integral and comprehensive approaches to tackle multi-faceted mental health issues in Hong Kong. In the new term, the Committee will continue to assist the Government in developing policies, strategies and measures to enhance mental health services in Hong Kong. It will also follow up on and monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the Mental Health Review Report.
 
     The new membership of the Committee from December 1, 2019, is as follows:
 
Chairman
———-
Mr Wong Yan-lung, SC

Non-official members
————————

Healthcare sector

Dr Felix Chan Hon-wai
Professor Eric Chen Yu-hai
Dr Hung Se-fong
Dr Patrick Ip Pak-keung
Professor Linda Lam Chiu-wa
Dr David Lau Ying-kit
Dr Eugenie Leung Yeuk-sin
Ms Jolene Mui

Social service and education sectors

Mr Chua Hoi-wai
Ms Kimmy Ho Wai-kuen
Mr Frederick Lai Wing-hoi
Mr James Lam Yat-fung
Mr Ricky Leung Wai-kay
Professor Samson Tse Shu-ki
Ms Anita Wong Yiu-ming
Professor Loretta Yam Yin-chun

Lay persons
 
Ms Lily Chan Lei-hung
Ms Lily Chan
Mr William Choy
Mr Stephen Leung Mung-hung
Professor Naubahar Sharif
Miss Yuen Shuk-yan
Ms Shirley Marie Therese Loo

Ex-officio members
———————
Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health) or representative
Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare or representative
Permanent Secretary for Education or representative
Director of Health or representative
Director of Social Welfare or representative
Director (Cluster Services), Hospital Authority
Chairman, Coordinating Committee in Psychiatry, Hospital Authority
Principal Assistant Secretary for Food and Health (Health)3 (Secretary)

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (November 29) released the latest grading of water quality for eight gazetted beaches that are open for swimming. Other beaches have been closed to swimmers since November 1 for the winter season.   
   
     Eight beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:    
     

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, there was no change in the grading for these beaches.
      
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
      
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, an EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
      
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (November 29) closely monitoring an additional plague case affecting a herder in Inner Mongolia.
 
     According to the Health Commission of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the patient was diagnosed to have bubonic plague on November 27 and had been to a place where plague was known to occur. The patient has been admitted to hospital for treatment under isolation and is in stable condition. Four close contacts have remained asymptomatic so far, and are under medical surveillance.
 
     So far, four cases of plague have been confirmed in the Mainland since November 2019. The other three cases include two cases of pneumonic plague in Beijing, involving a couple from Inner Mongolia; and a case of bubonic plague, involving a man in Inner Mongolia. The CHP issued press releases on these cases on November 14 and 18 respectively to urge the community to heighten their vigilance against plague. According to the latest information from the National Health Commission, all close contacts of the three patients have remained asymptomatic and were released from medical surveillance. As of yesterday (November 28), apart from the above four plague cases, no additional cases have been reported in the Mainland thereafter.
 
     A spokesman for the CHP said, "Regarding the recent plague cases that occurred in the Mainland, the CHP has communicated with the National Health Commission to understand the latest situation for risk assessment.”

     The spokesman said, "Plague is transmitted from an infected animal (mainly rodents) to humans through the bite of its fleas. Plague can also be contracted when cuts or other breaks in the skin come into contact with the body fluid or tissue of infected animals."
     
     The spokesman reminded travellers to avoid visiting plague-endemic areas. They should also heighten vigilance on rodents and prevent flea bites. Insect repellents against mosquitoes may equally prevent bites from fleas and other blood-sucking insects. Formulations in lotions or sprays should contain DEET, IR3535 or icaridin (also known as picaridin) as active ingredients. The public should refer to the CHP's tips for using insect repellents.

     "Travellers returning from affected areas with a sudden onset of fever, chills, body pains or chest discomfort should seek medical advice as soon as possible and reveal their travel history for prompt investigation and management. Plague is a statutorily notifiable disease and doctors should report suspected or confirmed cases to the CHP for investigations and control," the spokesman added.

     Travellers should take heed of the health advice below during travel:
 

• Prevent flea bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers, and applying insect repellent/insecticide. DEET-containing insect repellent can be applied to exposed skin and clothing, while insecticide containing permethrin can be applied to clothing, not the skin;
• Avoid going to rural areas, camping or hunting;
• Never touch rodents, dead animals and their tissues or contaminated materials;
• Avoid close contact with patients, especially those with cough or chest infection;
• Avoid going to crowded areas;
• Seek medical care immediately in case of a sudden onset of fever, chills, painful lymph nodes, difficulty in breathing with coughing and/or blood-tainted sputum; and
• Consult a doctor immediately after contact or exposure to pneumonic plague patients or high-risk exposures, such as bites from fleas or direct contact with body fluids or tissues of potentially infected animals, for prompt assessment of the need for preventive medication.

     Travellers may visit the CHP's plague page, Travel Health News and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's advice on rodent control for details.

     The Transport Department today (November 29) reminded members of the public that since the Cross-Harbour Tunnel (CHT) has reopened and traffic has generally returned to normal, the two routes of special free ferry services between Kowloon City and Wan Chai and between Hung Hom and Wan Chai provided for the closure of the CHT will cease operation tonight. The last ferry departure will be at 7pm.