The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) today (November 22) announced that, after a risk assessment, the polling station at Simon and Eleanor Kwok Building, Lingnan University, at the Tuen Mun District Council Fu Tai Constituency needs to be replaced by Hing Tak School (covered playground), 1 Hing Ping Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories.
      
     SMS messages and/or emails will be sent to the electors of the Fu Tai Constituency who have provided mobile numbers and/or email addresses to REO when they registered as electors. Notices will also be posted at Fu Tai Estate to notify the electors the relevant changes.
      
     The electors of the District Council Ordinary Election Sha Tin District Council Chun Ma Constituency are also reminded that, because of the closure of some of the facilities in the Constituency, some 200 electors of the Constituency may not be able to receive the letter and poll card sent by the REO indicating that the polling station at John Fulton Centre, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, has been replaced by Yan Oi Tong HK Toi Shan Association Elderly Centre at G/F, 1 Tsun King Road, Royal Ascot, Fo Tan, Sha Tin, New Territories.
      
     "Electors can log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (OVIES) (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) if they have not yet received their poll card to check their designated polling station. They can also call the election hotline (2891 1001) for enquiries," said the spokesman for the REO.
      
     "In addition to checking the name and address of the designated polling station, its location on the map, information on voter registration, electors can also find other polling information such as the polling date and polling hours on OVIES."
      
Announcements on relocation of five polling stations have been made so far:

1. Sassoon Road Assembly Hall at Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, which has been replaced by Yue Kwong Road Sports Centre at 43 Yue Kwong Road, Aberdeen;
2. Hong Kong Community College at Hung Hom, which has been replaced by Yaumati Kaifong Association School at 80 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon;
3. Education University of Hong Kong Jockey Club Primary School at Tai Po, which has been replaced by SKH Yuen Chen Maun Chen Primary School at Kwong Fuk Estate, Tai Po, New Territories
4. John Fulton Centre, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, which has been replaced by Yan Oi Tong HK Toi Shan Association Elderly Centre at G/F, 1 Tsun King Road, Royal Ascot, Fo Tan, Sha Tin, New Territories
5. Simon and Eleanor Kwok Building, Lingnan University, which is replaced by Hing Tak School (covered playground), 1 Hing Ping Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories.

 
     The change may bring inconvenience to the electors concerned, but the REO appealed for their understanding and encouraged them to exercise their civic rights and fulfil their civil responsibilities by casting their votes on the polling day so as to elect their District Council members.

     The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) today (November 22) stressed that the REO will not calculate election results based on the votes cast during the first three hours on the District Council Ordinary Election(DCOE) polling day if the polling station concerned cannot operate after the poll has been conducted for three hours. The REO made the following statement to clarify online rumours:

     November 24 (Sunday) is the polling day of the DCOE. The polling hours for the ordinary polling stations will be from 7.30am to 10.30pm, 15 hours in total. The REO stresses that the calculation of the election result of a constituency will not be conducted before the poll of the Constituency is completed.

     On the polling day of the DCOE, if a polling station stops operating due to unexpected incidents and the service of the polling station can resume as normal in one and a half hours, the opening hours of the polling station will be extended accordingly on the same day. If the service of the polling station cannot resume in one and a half hours, the poll of the polling station will be postponed to the reserved polling day on December 1 (Sunday).

     If the poll is postponed to December 1, the Presiding Officer, witnessed by candidates or their agents, will lock and seal the ballot boxes and all related documents. The materials will be used again on December 1. On the reserved polling day, the opening hours of the polling station concerned will commence from the time the postponement announcement was made and run until 10.30pm. For example, if a polling station stops operating at 10.30am on November 24, the polling hours of the polling station on December 1 will be from 10.30am to 10.30pm, so that the polling hours will remain 15 in total.

     When an elector collects the ballot paper on November 24, his or her entry in the Final Register of Electors will be marked accordingly in the polling station. Therefore, the elector cannot vote again on the reserved polling day.

     The spokesman for the REO said, "Queues may be formed if a large number of electors cast their votes at approximately the same time. Polling staff will serve the electors as fast as they can. Electors are urged to wait patiently."

The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

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

     The Judiciary has announced that having regard to the situation in the vicinity of Jordan and other practical considerations, subject to any directions of the presiding Judge or Judicial Officer concerned and until further announcement, all hearings of the Lands Tribunal and the Labour Tribunal originally scheduled from November 18 to next Monday (November 25) and thereafter are refixed to a date and time to be notified by the court in due course. All relevant parties to the proceedings affected should keep in view any further notification by the court or public announcements by the Judiciary.

     For enquiries, please call the following hotlines during office hours (8.45am-1pm and 2pm-5.30pm, from Monday to Friday):

Lands Tribunal: Hotlines: (852) 2771 3034  or (852) 3916 6147

Labour Tribunal: Hotlines: (852) 2625 0020 or (852) 3916 6148

     The registries and offices of the two Tribunals remain closed next Monday until further announcement.

     The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health today (November 22) reported that the suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) pending results on November 21 upon preliminary testing tested negative for MERS Coronavirus.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (November 22) reported the latest number of cases of dengue fever (DF) and chikungunya fever (CF), and strongly urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel.
 
A. Dengue fever
 
     From November 15 to 21, the CHP confirmed five imported DF cases. The patients had respectively been to India (two cases), Cambodia (one case), Guangdong in Mainland China (one case) and Vietnam (one case) during the incubation period.

    As of yesterday (November 21), 191 cases had been recorded this year (including 190 imported cases and one local case), as compared with 155 cases recorded in the same period last year. The imported cases were mainly from Thailand (32), Malaysia (27) and the Philippines (24). 

     The CHP has been closely monitoring the latest DF situation in neighbouring and overseas areas. DF is endemic in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world. According to the World Health Organization, some Asian countries are experiencing unusually high numbers of DF cases this year. The numbers of cases in some countries were significantly higher than the numbers for the same period in 2018, including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

     Separately, according to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, as of October 31, 5 315 cases had been recorded in Guangdong this year, which was significantly higher than that in the same period last year (2 752 cases). The numbers of cases recorded in August, September and October were 1 209, 1 430 and 1 880 respectively. In Taiwan, as of yesterday, 591 cases (including 100 local cases) had been recorded in 2019.

     Detailed information on the latest DF situation in Hong Kong as well as neighbouring and overseas countries and areas this year has been uploaded to the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf). Members of the public should stay vigilant and carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures.

     ​"Apart from general measures, travellers returning from areas affected by DF should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. If feeling unwell, seek medical advice promptly and provide travel details to the doctor," a spokesman for the CHP said.

B. Chikungunya fever

​     From November 15 to 21, the CHP recorded one CF case. The patient had been to India during the incubation period. As of yesterday, 11 confirmed CF cases had been recorded this year, and all of them were imported cases comprising seven from Thailand, three from Myanmar and one from India.

     CF is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the chikungunya virus. It is clinically characterised by fever frequently accompanied by joint pain. Other common signs and symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and a rash. Joint pain is often very debilitating, but usually lasts for a few days or may be prolonged for weeks. Most patients recover fully, but in some cases joint pain may persist for several months, or even years.
 
     Chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites. Although the vector Aedes aegypti is not found in Hong Kong, another vector, Aedes albopictus, is widely distributed locally. These mosquitoes can be found biting throughout daylight hours, though there may be peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon.
 
     The public should take heed of the following advice on mosquito control:
 

• Thoroughly check all gully traps, roof gutters, surface channels and drains to prevent blockage;
• Scrub and clean drains and surface channels with an alkaline detergent compound at least once a week to remove any deposited mosquito eggs;
• Properly dispose of refuse, such as soft drink cans, empty bottles and boxes in covered litter containers;
• Completely change the water of flowers and plants at least once a week. The use of saucers should be avoided if possible;
• Level irregular ground surfaces before the rainy season;
• Avoid staying in shrubby areas; and
• Take personal protective measures such as wearing light-coloured long-sleeved clothes and trousers and apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothing or uncovered areas of the body when doing outdoor activities.

     DEET-containing insect repellents are effective and the public should take heed of the tips below:
 

• Read the label instructions carefully first;
• Apply right before entering an area with risk of mosquito bites;
• Apply on exposed skin and clothing;
• Use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children*;
• Apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent; and
• Re-apply only when needed and follow the instructions.

* For children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent.

     The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems and may visit the following pages for more information: the DF page of the CHP and the Travel Health Service, the CF page of the CHP, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, and the CHP Facebook Page and YouTube Channel.