Following the world tour of "The Great Tamar", internationally acclaimed Greek choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou will return to Hong Kong and perform onstage for the first time in a decade. Papaioannou's works have always been known as being visual spectacles. For his latest production, "INK", the master of spectacle will create a water-filled stage and present together with young German dancer Šuka Horn.

     "INK", which is one of the highlights of this year's New Vision Arts Festival (NVAF), will be staged from November 9 to 11 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre. All three performances will be performed by Papaioannou and Horn.

     Under the magical illusionary spell of Papaioannou, "INK" is set on a dark stage flooding with water. The dance-like push and pull between the two dancers, juxtaposing stillness with violence, portrays a primal state, drawing the audience irresistibly into the artists' nightmare.

     "INK" was initiated by Papaioannou at the start of the pandemic when the young dancer Horn was stranded in Greece, creating an opportunity for the two artists to become close collaborators. Papaioannou was inspired by his interests such as painting, religion, aliens, sci-fi and Greek mythology, creating a duet performance that allows audiences to enter the conscious and subconscious mind of the master.

     "INK" received the Ubu Award for best foreign show presented in Italy in 2021. The programme is on a world tour starting from this year.

     "INK" will be held at 7.30pm on November 9 and 10 (Thursday and Friday), and at 3pm on November 11 (Saturday) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre. Tickets priced at $200, $280, $360, $460 and $580 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288, or use the mobile ticketing app "URBTIX". Various discount schemes, including the newly introduced weekend package booking discount, are being offered.

     "INK" contains nudity. Audiences below 16 will not be admitted. A meet-the-artist session will be held after the performance at the Grand Theatre on November 10.

     Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the NVAF is running from October 20 to November 19, showcasing an array of interdisciplinary programmes by overseas and local performing groups and artists. For programme enquiries, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.nvaf.gov.hk.

    

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) in Kwai Tsing and the Kwai Chung Hospital Dental Clinic this afternoon (November 3) to get a better grasp of the dental services currently provided for persons with special needs.
 
     Professor Lo started the visit at the Kiangsu Chekiang and Shanghai Residents (Hong Kong) Association Kwai Tsing Hostel for the Elderly where he inspected the workflow of outreach dental teams in providing basic dental care services to residents of the RCHE under the Outreach Dental Care Programme for the Elderly (ODCP). He also listened to the views of the staff and residents of the RCHE on the services. After that, accompanied by the Hospital Chief Executive of Kwai Chung Hospital (KCH), Dr Desmond Nguyen, Professor Lo and his team visited the Kwai Chung Hospital Dental Clinic to learn about the special care dental services provided by the Clinic to psychiatric inpatients of KCH.
 
     Professor Lo said, "Making reference to the view of the Working Group on Oral Health and Dental Care established last year, the Government is committed to determining and developing primary dental services suitable for different age groups with the premise of preventing oral diseases and enhancing the oral health of the community; and at the same time providing more targeted dental care services to various underprivileged groups, persons with financial difficulties, disabilities or special needs, and high-risk groups.
 
     "In this connection, 'The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address' outlined a number of initiatives to enhance the oral health of the community, including collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to enhance emergency dental services to underprivileged groups with financial difficulties in all 18 districts across the city; strengthening of the special care dental services currently provided by the Department of Health to persons with disabilities or special needs by adding 900 quotas for new patients per year; enhancement to the Elderly Dental Assistance Programme under the Community Care Fund to allow more eligible elderly persons to receive dental services such as dental check-up, scaling, fillings and extractions, even when fitting of removable dentures is not required; and launch of the Primary Dental Co-care Pilot Scheme for Adolescents as an extension to School Dental Care Service for primary students by subsidising adolescents aged 13 to 17 to receive preventive dental care services."
 
     In addition, the Government has all along been attaching great importance to the oral health of residents of RCHs or elderly persons using Day Care Centres/Units for the Elderly. Those elderly persons are generally frail and may not be able to maintain their oral health, thus having difficulties to receive conventional dental care services. As such, the Government launched the ODCP since 2014. Outreach dental teams set up by NGOs visit RCHEs or Day Care Centres/Units for the Elderly to provide free professional oral check-up and oral healthcare services for the elderly concerned, as well as training for their caregivers on daily oral care, with a view to enhancing the oral health of the frail elderly."
 
     Professor Lo said, "I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all members of outreach dental teams of the ODCP for maintaining a high level of professionalism and dedication at all times in providing targeted dental care services for elderly persons and safeguarding their oral health, despite the constraints of the working environment."
 
     The Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, accompanied Professor Lo on the visit today.

                

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (November 3):
 
     A 74-year-old male patient in the surgical ward of QEH was found to carry Candida auris on October 31 after screening, without signs of infection. He has recovered and been discharged. In accordance with prevailing guidelines, QEH commenced a contact tracing investigation and found two more patients (aged 70 and 86) who stayed in the same ward carrying Candida auris without signs of infection. They are being treated in isolation and are in stable condition.
 
     The hospital has reported the cases to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection (CHP). The following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted:
 
1.  Thorough cleaning and disinfection of the ward concerned;
2.  Enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures; and
3.  Application of stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene of staff and patients.
 
     The hospital will continue to closely monitor the situation as well as following up the cases with departments concerned and the CHP.

     The Chief Executive announced the establishment of the Task Force on Tackling the Issue of Subdivided Units in the 2023 Policy Address. The Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, convened the first meeting as the Head of the Task Force today (November 3).
 
     The Task Force will conduct an in-depth study on the comprehensive handling of the issue of subdivided units (SDUs), and make recommendations along the following directions in 10 months’ time:
 
(i) set the minimum standards of living conditions for SDUs in terms of their building safety, fire safety and hygiene requirements, living space, etc;

(ii)suggest measures to eradicate substandard SDUs;

(iii) prevent the resurgence of substandard SDUs; and
(iv) put forward solutions to address the problem in an orderly manner, covering necessary administrative and legislative proposals.
     The Secretary for Housing is the Deputy Head of the Task Force.  Other members include the Secretary for Development, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare as well as other relevant Heads of Departments. 
      
     At the meeting, Task Force members discussed the overall direction of the Task Force’s work, as well as the upcoming work plan and arrangements. Bureaux and departments also shared preliminary issues of concern in relation to handling problems pertaining to SDUs, such as enforcement and regulation targeted at SDUs, overcharging for water and electricity, fire safety, transitional and follow-up arrangements in relation to eradicating SDUs, collection of SDU data, efforts on poverty alleviation, etc.
              
     Mr Wong said, "The issue of SDUs involves the wellbeing of tens of thousands of families. Tackling such an issue is hardly a short-term target which can be achieved overnight. Yet, as the saying goes, ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step', the Task Force has wasted no time and starts its work right away. 
      
     "The Government will plan carefully, taking into account views from society with a view to proposing measures which can precisely resolve the SDU issue," he said.
 
     The terms of reference and membership of the Task Force are set out in the Appendix.

    

     A man who went missing in Tin Sum has been located.

     Ng Ming-tat, aged 38, went missing after left his residence in Sha Kok Estate, Tin Sum in April. His family made a report to Police on September 27.

     The man was located at Sai Yee Street Garden, Mong Kok yesterday (November 2) morning. He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.