Hongkong Post announced today (September 18) that, as advised by the postal administration of Macao, due to the impact of Typhoon Mangkhut, mail delivery services in Macao have been suspended. Hongkong Post has suspended postal services (including Speedpost, parcels and letter post items) to Macao with immediate effect until further notice.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Members of the public are invited to attend the Hospital Authority (HA) Board Meeting to be held on September 20 (Thursday) at 3.45pm. 
 
     The HA Board Meeting has been open to members of the public since 1998 to demonstrate the continuous efforts of the Authority to enhance its transparency and public accountability. The HA Board holds meetings at regular intervals to discuss major health policy issues which have an impact on the public.
 
     Through these open meetings, the community is able to understand more about the role and functions of the HA Board as well as the operation and services of the HA and its hospitals.

     The HA Board will discuss the following agenda items in the coming meeting:

• Hospital Authority Annual Report 2017-18;
• 2017 Patient Experience Survey on Inpatient Service;
• HA Chief Executive's Progress Report on Strategic Priorities; and
• Cluster Presentation Programme – Hong Kong East Cluster: The First Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Centre in the HA.

 
     The meeting agenda and papers will be made available to the public at the meeting. Members of the public are reminded that they may attend the Board Meeting only as observers and will not be participating in the meeting discussions.
 
     Members of the public who are interested in attending the coming Board Meeting have to make advance booking by contacting the Secretariat of the HA Board at 2300 6797 during office hours. To facilitate booking arrangements, members of the public are advised to provide their name and contact telephone number. In view of the limited seating available in the Public Gallery of the meeting venue, seating will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) today (September 18) appealed to the public to keep places clean and tidy and not to burn wax or fly sky lanterns when celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival.
 
     "To provide a better environment for members of the public to enjoy the festive occasion, we appeal to them not to burn or melt wax. They should not sprinkle or pour liquids onto hot wax. Metal cans or non-flammable containers should be used to collect melted wax for easy disposal into litter bins after the containers cool down," a spokesman for the LCSD said.
 
     "Moreover, members of the public should not throw glow sticks or other objects onto trees, as doing so may cause damage to the trees and affect the cleanliness of venues. Furthermore, they should not fly sky lanterns as it might cause injuries or damage to property."
 
     Noting that a new set of television and radio Announcements in the Public Interest (APIs) has been launched to make similar public appeals, the spokesman said patrols will also be stepped up at the department's venues including parks, public beaches and barbecue sites on September 23 and 24. About 1 000 staff will be deployed to take enforcement action against littering, wax burning, throwing objects onto trees and flying sky lanterns on these two nights.
 
     Members of the public may call the LCSD's hotline on 2414 5555 to report any wax burning or flying sky lantern cases, or other irregularities found at LCSD venues.
 
     According to the Pleasure Grounds Regulation, no person shall, in any pleasure ground, melt or burn any wax; sprinkle or pour any liquid onto any hot wax; damage any part of any tree, shrub or plant; or fly kites, model aircraft, balloons, sky lanterns or other devices. According to the Bathing Beaches Regulation, no person shall, on any bathing beach, do any act which is likely to endanger or obstruct any other person using the beach, or damage, deface or pollute the beach or anything situated thereon. Any person who is convicted is liable to a maximum fine of $2,000 and 14 days' imprisonment.
 
      Littering offenders will be issued with a fixed penalty notice with a fine of $1,500, while those who burn wax, throw objects onto trees or fly sky lanterns might be prosecuted.

     The Committee on Elder Academy Development Foundation (EADF) is inviting a new round of funding applications from school-sponsoring bodies of primary and secondary schools as well as post-secondary institutions interested in setting up elder academies (EAs), and organisations interested in organising activities that encourage elderly learning and inter-generational harmony. Applications should reach the secretariat of the Committee on EADF by October 31.

     Launched by the Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Elderly Commission in 2007, the EA Scheme aims to promote continuous learning for elderly people, active ageing and inter-generational harmony. The EADF mainly provides funding support for primary and secondary schools, as well as post-secondary institutions, to set up EAs in order to provide learning opportunities in a school setting for the elderly. Funding support is also provided for activities that encourage elderly learning and inter-generational harmony.

     Each approved EA in a primary or secondary school will be provided with funding of up to $122,000 for implementing a three-year programme. EAs having completed the first three-year programme may submit applications for funding of up to $60,000 for running a two-year programme.

     As regards applications for organising EA courses in post-secondary institutions or other applications, the Committee on EADF will make assessments, including the amount of funding to be provided, according to the merits of individual proposals.

     Details of the arrangements for funding applications may be downloaded from the website of the EA Scheme (www.elderacademy.org.hk). For enquiries, please contact the secretariat of the Committee on EADF at 3655 5861/3655 5007.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     Hong Kong Monetary Authority Exchange Fund Bills tender results:
 

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     Hong Kong Monetary Authority tenders to be held in the week beginning September 24, 2018: