â€‹The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (November 26) released the latest maintenance cost information on lifts in private residential and commercial premises for public reference.

     The EMSD had earlier engaged an independent consultant to conduct a sampling survey on the maintenance costs of lifts in private residential and commercial buildings in Hong Kong. The consultant analysed the data from some 68 000 lifts at about 20 000 locations, and calculated the average monthly maintenance costs of the lifts as follows:

Private Residential Buildings

Private Commercial Buildings

     The cost information is available in the Responsible Persons' Corner on the EMSD's website (www.emsd.gov.hk/en/lifts_and_escalators_safety/responsible_persons_corner/index.html). The EMSD updates it on a half-yearly basis.

     In choosing registered lift contractors, the responsible persons for lifts are advised to make reference to the materials published in the Responsible Persons' Corner in addition to the price factor. The materials include:

* performance ratings of registered contractors;
* sample contracts for procurement of lift maintenance services;
* a guidebook for persons responsible for lifts;
* guidelines for selection of registered contractors for provision of maintenance services;
* guidelines for modernisation of existing lifts;
* guidelines for management of lift maintenance works;
* a checklist for building management staff to conduct daily safety inspection of lifts; and
* common questions and answers on lift management.

Note 1: The above price figures were updated on September 30, 2019, whereas the previous price figures were updated on March 31, 2019.

Note 2: As there are very few lifts with travel of more than 35 levels, the surveyed prices obtained through sampling of lifts in this group are prone to higher fluctuation.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 is 106.3 (down 0.1 against yesterday's index).

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will depart for Bangkok, Thailand, on November 28. On the next day, she will meet with senior officials of Thailand and sign, on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Thailand on strengthening of economic relations. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, who is leading a business delegation to visit Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, will join the programme.

     Mrs Lam will return to Hong Kong in the evening on November 29. During her absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will be Acting Chief Executive.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (November 26) announced the test results of a recently completed seasonal food surveillance project on the microbiological quality of poon choi. Thirty samples were collected and all passed the tests.
 
     A CFS spokesman said, "As poon choi is popular for gatherings during winter and there were previous cases of bacterial food poisoning associated with poon choi, the CFS has continued to conduct a seasonal food surveillance project this year to assess the microbiological quality of poon choi. A total of 30 poon choi samples were collected from different retailers (including online retailers) for testing of common food poisoning organisms including Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, coagulase-positive staphylococci organisms and Vibrio parahaemolyticus."
 
     Despite the satisfactory results of all samples tested, the spokesman reminded people to be careful when purchasing and enjoying this seasonal delicacy. He advised consumers to order poon choi from licensed and reliable shops, reheat poon choi thoroughly before consumption, consume the food as soon as possible or keep the food at temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius, avoid prolonged storage of poon choi at room temperature to reduce the risk of bacteria growth, and stop consuming the food if it tastes or smells abnormal.
 
     "The public should also maintain a balanced diet and avoid eating too much food with high levels of energy, sugar, salt or fat," the spokesman said.
 
     He also appealed to the food trade not to entertain orders beyond handling capacity. Traders are reminded to check the quality of food ingredients and ensure that the temperatures of chilled and frozen foods are appropriate when they are delivered to them. In addition, to reduce the risk of food poisoning, they should avoid preparing food too far in advance and take note of the temperature in storing, transporting and preparing food.
 
     "All food ingredients should be stored at safe temperatures while perishable items should be stored at 4 degrees C or below. The cooling time of cooked food should be reduced as far as possible. When transporting hot poon choi, it should be kept at above 60 degrees C, and for chilled poon choi, it should be kept at 4 degrees C or below," the spokesman said.
 
     "Traders should provide clear advice on the proper methods of storing and reheating of poon choi to consumers so as to further reduce the risk of food poisoning due to improper handling," he added.
 
     The CFS will continue its surveillance of poon choi available in the market to ensure food safety and protect the health of the public.

     After major expansion and renovation, the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) will be reopened to the public on November 30.

     A total of 11 exhibitions will begin upon the museum's reopening. They include a series of collection exhibitions representing the cultural legacy in the museum's holdings, namely "Ordinary to Extraordinary: Stories of the Museum", "From Dung Basket to Dining Cart: 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Wu Guanzhong", "A Pleasure Shared: Selected Works from the Chih Lo Lou Collection", "The Wisdom of Emptiness: Selected Works from the Xubaizhai Collection", "Lost and Found: Guardians of the Chater Collection" and "The Best of Both Worlds: Acquisition and Donation of Chinese Antiquities".

     Another series of exhibitions and displays on Hong Kong art, namely "Classics Remix: The Hong Kong Viewpoint", "Hong Kong Experience‧Hong Kong Experiment", "The Breath of Landscape" and "Rediscovering Landscape", will display the lineage of local art. An international blockbuster exhibition, "A Sense of Place: from Turner to Hockney" will also be ready for public appreciation.

     The HKMoA has been closed since August 2015 for a renovation project to increase exhibition space and upgrade its facilities. After expansion, the total exhibition area has been increased by about 40 per cent from about 7,000 square metres to around 10,000 sq m.

     Established in 1962, the HKMoA was first housed in the City Hall High Block and moved to its present purpose-built premises in Tsim Sha Tsui in 1991. The museum's mission is to preserve the cultural heritage of China and promote Hong Kong art.

     The HKMoA is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.