The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (November 19) investigating an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) at a residential child care centre in Wan Chai District, and hence reminded the public and management of institutions to maintain personal and environmental hygiene against AGE.

     The outbreak involves seven boys and 13 girls aged 4 months to 2 years. They developed diarrhoea since November 9. Eighteen of them received medical attention and none required hospitalisation. All patients are in a stable condition.

     Officers of the CHP have conducted a site visit and provided health advice to the staff of the centre concerning proper and thorough disinfection, proper disposal of vomitus, and personal and environmental hygiene. The centre has been put under medical surveillance.

     The CHP's investigations are ongoing.

     A spokesman for the CHP advised members of the public to take heed of the following preventive measures against gastroenteritis:
 

• Ensure proper personal hygiene;
• Wash hands thoroughly before handling food and eating, after using the toilet or after changing diapers;
• Wear gloves when disposing of vomitus or faecal matter, and wash hands afterwards;
• Clean and disinfect contaminated areas or items promptly and thoroughly with diluted household bleach (by adding one part of bleach containing 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite to 49 parts of water). Wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• Pay attention to food hygiene;
• Use separate utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Avoid food that is not thoroughly cooked;
• Drink boiled water; and
• Do not patronise unlicensed food premises or food stalls.

     The public may visit the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk) or call the Health Education Hotline (2833 0111) for more information.

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, 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 tomorrow (November 20) and thereafter are adjourned 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.

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

     The Department of Health has announced today (November 19) that owing to the situation in Yau Ma Tei, the service of some DH clinics will be adjusted today.

     The following evening clinics will be suspended earlier, at 6.30pm: Yau Ma Tei Social Hygiene Clinic, Kowloon Chest Clinic and Yaumatei Chest Clinic.

     Those with appointments will be given a new appointment.

     The Transport Department (TD) today (November 19) reminded members of the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in So Kon Po and Causeway Bay today to facilitate the holding of a football match at Hong Kong Stadium.
 
     The special traffic and transport arrangements mainly include:
 
Special traffic arrangements
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* From about 6pm, the section of Caroline Hill Road northbound between Leighton Road and Cotton Path, and the section of Hysan Avenue westbound between Sunning Road and Hoi Ping Road, will be closed;
 
* From about 9.15pm, Caroline Hill Road, the section of Eastern Hospital Road between Caroline Hill Road and Cotton Path and Cotton Path will be closed to facilitate the dispersal of spectators until the crowd is dispersed and road closures are lifted; and
 
* During the road closure periods, Citybus (CTB) route 5B, New World First Bus (NWFB) route 8H, cross-harbour (XHT) route 678, green minibus routes 14M, 26 and 30, and residents' service route HR51 will be temporarily diverted.
 
Special transport arrangements after the football match
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* The following franchised bus services will operate from Cotton Path near Hong Kong Stadium after the football match:
 
– NWFB route 2R (to Shau Kei Wan (Yiu Tung Estate));
– NWFB route 8R (to Siu San Wan); and
– XHT route 914R (to Jordan Road).
 
* In addition, services of CTB routes 5B (to Western District) and 592 (to Ap Lei Chau), NWFB routes 38 (to Chi Fu Fa Yuen) and 42 (to Wah Fu) and XHT routes 307 (to Tai Po Centre), 601 (to Po Tat), 619 (to Shun Lee), 680 (to Ma On Shan, Sha Tin) and 690 (to Hong Sing Garden) will be enhanced.
 
Others
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* On-street parking spaces and car parks within the road closure areas will be suspended.
 
     Depending on the actual traffic conditions in the areas, other ad-hoc traffic and public transport measures, including road closures and traffic diversion as well as alteration and suspension of public transport services, may be implemented.
 
     The TD anticipates that the traffic in the vicinity of So Kon Po and Causeway Bay will be very congested. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to the affected areas. In case of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of the Police. Members of the public who plan to go to the affected areas are advised to plan their routes in advance, allow more travelling time to cater for unexpected delay, and use public transport services as far as possible.
 
     Details of the special traffic and transport arrangements have been uploaded to the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk). Members of the public may call 1823 for enquiries, or stay alert to the latest traffic and transport news through the TD's website, the TD's mobile application "HKeMobility" and bus companies' websites and apps, as well as radio and television.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (November 19) the composite interest rate at the end of October 2019. (Note 1)
 
     The composite interest rate, which is a measure of the average cost of funds of banks, increased by 2 basis points to 1.04 per cent at the end of October 2019, from 1.02 per cent at the end of September 2019 (see Chart 1 in the Annex). The increase in composite interest rate reflected increase in the weighted funding cost for deposits during the month (see Chart 2 in the Annex). (Note 2)
 
     The historical data of the composite interest rate from the end of the fourth quarter of 2003 to the end of October 2019 are available in the Monthly Statistical Bulletin on the HKMA website (www.hkma.gov.hk). The next data release is scheduled for December 19, 2019 and will provide the composite interest rate at the end of November 2019.

Note 1: The composite interest rate is a weighted average interest rate of all Hong Kong dollar interest-rate-sensitive liabilities, which include deposits from customers, amounts due to banks, negotiable certificates of deposit and other debt instruments, and all other liabilities that do not involve any formal payment of interest but the values of which are sensitive to interest rate movements (such as Hong Kong dollar non-interest bearing demand deposits) on the books of banks. Data from retail banks, which account for about 90 per cent of the total customers' deposits in the banking sector, are used in the calculation. It should be noted that the composite interest rate represents only average interest expenses. There are various other costs involved in the making of a loan, such as operating costs (e.g. staff and rental expenses), credit cost and hedging cost, which are not covered by the composite interest rate.

Note 2: Since June 2019, the composite interest rate and weighted deposit rate have been calculated based on the new local "Interest rate risk in the banking book" (IRRBB) framework. As such, these figures are not strictly comparable with those of previous months.