The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) is investigating the roller coaster passenger entrapment incident happened today (February 7) at the Space Mountain, Hong Kong Disneyland (Disneyland).
      
     An EMSD spokesman said, "Upon notification of passenger entrapment incident involving the Space Mountain roller coaster by the Disneyland at 3.30pm today, EMSD officers immediately conducted an on-site investigation. The preliminary finding revealed that nine trains of roller coasters were in service at the material time. Due to delays in the loading and unloading area, the safety system activated and stopped all trains on the track to prevent other trains from entering the loading and unloading area. Since a train was stopped in an area that was difficult to access, the Disneyland followed the operational procedures to firstly notify the Fire Services Department to seek assistance before arranging the passengers to leave the roller coaster. All passengers were safely evacuated at 4.15pm, and no passengers were injured or mechanical failures occurred."
      
     The EMSD has requested the Disneyland to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the concerned roller coaster and reopen it only after confirming safety, and to submit a report on the incident.

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported Hong Kong performance art group TS Crew's tour across three cities in the United Kingdom (UK), namely, Bournemouth, Manchester and London. The tour brings 10 performances and cultural exchange workshops in local school as well as community-inclusive studio. 

     The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, delivered an introductory message before a cultural exchange workshop held at the Talbot Primary School in Bournemouth on January 31 (London time) to kick start the tour. "TS Crew's lion dance exemplifies Hong Kong's unique East-meets-West culture, making it the ideal centre for international cultural exchange. Our city's social calendar in 2024 is filled with exciting events, from the artistic Art Basel Hong Kong to the thrilling Hong Kong Sevens. I invite you all to visit Hong Kong and experience the dynamic and ever-evolving spirit of our beloved city."

     Founded in 2017, TS Crew brings an innovative reinterpretation of lion dance and Chinese Opera to audiences around the globe. Their performance, titled "No Dragon No Lion", skilfully blends elements of beatboxing, martial arts, tricking, and parkour, creating an electrifying fusion that pushes the boundaries of performance art. "No Dragon No Lion" was the winner of the Asian Arts Award for Best Show in the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and was nominated for Best Entertainment/Musical/Dance and Best Show under the DarkChat Awards of the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

     TS Crew held cultural exchange workshops at the Talbot Primary School, Bournemouth on January 31, and the studio of Company Chameleon in Manchester on February 5. The "No Dragon No Lion" performance was staged at Ocean Theatre, Pavilion Dance South West, Bournemouth on February 2. The group will hold more workshops and stage performances in Manchester as well as London until February 13.

        

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, expressed deep condolences over the passing of the former Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK), Professor Joseph Lau, and extended his deepest sympathies to Professor Lau's family today (February 7).

     Professor Lo said, "Professor Lau has made remarkable achievements in the medical field throughout his life as a world renowned expert in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery. He was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003, honouring his instrumental stature in the medical community.

     "Professor Lau was committed to the medical development of Hong Kong. He was a former President of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong. He also served on the MCHK for over 22 years and just retired from the MCHK last month after serving as its Chairman for more than 11 years. During his service, Professor Lau spared no effort in upholding the professional standards of doctors and pushing ahead the enhancements to the regulatory framework. As a research professor of the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor Lau has devoted himself to teaching and research, having nurtured countless surgeons at home and abroad over the years. In 2013, he was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in recognition of his contributions to society, in particular the medical field.

     "Professor Lau cared deeply about his patients, showed great dedication to teach medical students from all backgrounds, and carried out research diligently. His lifelong contribution to the medical community in Hong Kong has earned him much respect and he will be dearly missed. Together with my colleagues in the Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority, I extend our deepest sympathies to Professor Lau's family."

     The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department (HAD) conducted a joint operation with the Fire Services Department codenamed "Solar Flare" against unlicensed hotels/guesthouses and illegal club-house operations for two consecutive days on February 5 and 6 by posing as clients (commonly known as "snaking") at various spots to ensure the safety of lodgers and the general public.
 
     A spokesman for the HAD today (February 7) said, "The OLA inspected 32 premises in areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon during the operation. Twenty premises were suspected of operating unlicensed hotels/guesthouses and three licensed club-houses were suspected of being in breach of licensing conditions. The OLA will follow up all these cases and initiate prosecution of cases with sufficient evidence after completion of the investigations."
 
     Having regard to unlicensed hotels/guesthouses soliciting lodgers via online platforms, the OLA has strengthened its intelligence collection by forming a dedicated team to browse webpages, mobile applications, social media, discussion forums, blogs, etc, to search for information and intelligence on suspected unlicensed hotels/guesthouses. The OLA's law enforcement officers will initiate follow-up investigations when information on unlicensed hotels/guesthouses advertised via online platforms is found. The OLA also continues to combat unlicensed hotels/guesthouses through public education and conducts publicity work on Internet search engines outside Hong Kong to enable tourists' access to the information provided by the OLA in the course of planning their trips, so that they can make use of the search functions on the OLA's website to distinguish whether the hotel/guesthouse reserved is licensed or not.
 
     The spokesman stressed, "Operating an unlicensed hotel/guesthouse is a criminal offence and it can lead to imprisonment and a criminal record. Upon conviction, an offender is liable to a maximum fine of $500,000, three years' imprisonment, and a fine of $20,000 for each day during which the offence continues. A six-month closure order may also be issued for the premises involved in a repeated offence."
　　
      Tourists may check on the OLA's webpage (hadla.gov.hk) or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses" whether a hotel/guesthouse is holding a valid licence. All people should report any suspected unlicensed hotel/guesthouse to the OLA by the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805), or through the mobile application.

    

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, visited a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) at the Kwu Tung North Multi-welfare Services Complex this afternoon (February 7). The Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms Alice Lau, also joined the visit.

     The eight-storey Kwu Tung North Multi-welfare Services Complex provides residential and community care services for the elderly people and persons with disabilities. One contract home, with 250 residential care places for the elderly, is housed on each of the first to the seventh floors, providing a total of 1 750 places, including nursing home places as well as care-and-attention places. Day Care Units for the Elderly are provided on the first and second floors. A Day Activity Centre cum Hostel for Severely Mentally Handicapped Persons and a Care and Attention Home for Severely Disabled Persons will be provided on the ground floor. The construction works of the Complex commenced in end-2019 and adopted the Modular Integrated Construction method. All seven RCHEs commenced service from August 2023.

     Mr Sun visited one of the RCHEs and was briefed by the operator on its daily operations as well as multidisciplinary nursing and care services. Mr Sun and other officials extended early Chinese New Year greetings to the elderly and participated in their festive activities. He also distributed fortune bags to the elderly in celebration of the Chinese New Year and wished them good health.

     In addition, Mr Sun and other officials took a closer look at the services and facilities of the RCHE. The Government provided gerontechnology facilities and products to the residential care homes (RCHs) in the Kwu Tung North Multi-welfare Services Complex, including contactless vital sign monitoring systems, monitoring systems with alarms for bed exit and fall detection, as well as intelligence robots for conducting scheduled room patrols and supporting virtual visits, with a view to integrating gerontechnology into the design of new RCHs to improve the quality of life of service users and the service efficiency of RCHs.