Two red tides were sighted during the past week, the Inter-departmental Red Tide Working Group reported today (April 12).

     The first red tide was spotted by a member of the public on April 5 at Yi Pak Wan and Sam Pak Wan, Lantau Island. On April 8, staff of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department spotted another red tide at Silverstrand Beach, Sai Kung. Both red tides have dissipated and no associated fish deaths have been reported as of today.

     A spokesman for the working group said, "The red tide at Yi Pak Wan and Sam Pak Wan, Lantau Island, was formed by Noctiluca scintillans and Heterosigma akashiwo, and that at Silverstrand Beach, Sai Kung, was formed by Noctiluca scintillans. Noctiluca scintillans is non-toxic, while Heterosigma akashiwo might produce neurotoxins and kill fish by damaging their gills, according to overseas literature. The two algal species are commonly found in Hong Kong waters."

     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) urged mariculturists at Ma Wan, Cheung Sha Wan, Ma Nam Wat, Kau Sai, Kai Lung Wan, Tai Tau Chau, Leung Shuen Wan, Tiu Cham Wan and Po Toi O fish culture zones to monitor the situation closely and increase aeration where necessary.

     Red tide is a natural phenomenon. The AFCD's proactive phytoplankton monitoring programme will continue to monitor red tide occurrences to minimise the impact on the mariculture industry and the public.

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (April 12) that closure orders are being applied from the court against two food premises in Yau Ma Tei that have been persistently operating without a licence and causing serious obstruction to the streets.

     The two food premises, located at Shop C-D and Shop A respectively on the ground floor of Temple Street, have been operating without a licence and occupying pavements and carriageways continuously, causing serious obstruction and environmental hygiene problems and great nuisance to residents nearby. From July 2022 to March this year, the FEHD received 437 complaints concerning the two restaurants, and conducted 132 blitz enforcement operations and instituted 306 prosecutions against their irregularities.

     The spokesman said, "The FEHD has been taking enforcement and regulatory actions against the blatant contraventions of the two food premises in question and deploying manpower to step up the enforcement actions. However, the two restaurants continue to operate without a licence and obstruct public places persistently. Therefore, the FEHD believes it is necessary to apply to the court for closure orders under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) to completely rectify their irregularities." The spokesman clearly stated that food business license applications will not be considered for operators who disregard the law.

     FEHD officers have posted a Notice of Intention to Apply for a Closure Order prominently on the premises concerned and will promptly serve the person-in-charge of the restaurants and the owners of the premises with the notices. The applications for closure orders were submitted last month, and the hearing is scheduled for April 30 this year.

     The spokesman stressed that the FEHD will persist in taking stringent enforcement actions against unlicensed food premises to safeguard food safety and public health. Operators are urged not to defy the law, while members of the public are appealed not to patronise these premises.

     According to the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X), anyone operating an unlicensed food business commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000, imprisonment for six months and a daily fine of $900. Licensed food premises are required to exhibit its licence and a sign at a conspicuous place of the premises, indicating that the premises have been licensed. A list of licensed food premises is available on the department website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/list_licensed_premises.html). Members of the public can report any suspected unlicensed food premises by calling the FEHD hotline 2868 0000.

  

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (HKETONY) hosted its spring reception in Chicago on April 11 (Chicago time) with the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, as guest of honour.
 
     Welcoming guests at the reception, the Director of the HKETONY, Ms Maisie Ho, highlighted the close ties between the two cities.
 
     "A global finance and business hub, Chicago and the State of Illinois are trading partners of Hong Kong. On the education front, universities in Chicago and Illinois are partnering with Hong Kong universities, with the University of Chicago operating a Hong Kong campus," she said.
 
     "Over the years, our office has also shared Hong Kong’s creative spirit here in Chicago, from performances to design to films." She took the opportunity to invite guests to the Hong Kong Cinema Showcase of the Asian Pop-up Cinema, which has been sponsored by the HKETONY annually, this year scheduled for April 19 to 21.
 
     As guest of honour, Mr Hui gave the guests a brief update on the latest developments and opportunities in Hong Kong, particularly on Hong Kong’s economy and its financial services sector.
 
     With the Hong Kong Trade Development Council as co-organiser, the spring reception was joined by some 150 guests from academic, political, business and finance fields, as well as legal sectors in Illinois.

        

     The Education Bureau (EDB) held the 4Rs Mental Health Charter Launching Ceremony cum Briefing Session today (April 12), marking the commencement of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter (the Charter) for the 2024/25 school year.  

     Speaking at the Launching Ceremony, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said that a harmonious and friendly school environment, a diligent and enthusiastic team of teachers, as well as healthy family relationships and lifestyles, are essential conditions for cultivating a positive new generation.  

     In order to promote mental health in schools in a more comprehensive and systematic manner, Dr Choi appealed to all schools in Hong Kong to join the Charter, thereby working together to set practical and feasible goals and take concrete actions to promote students' physical and psychological health.  

     The 4Rs in the Charter cover four elements and objectives for promoting mental health. They are equally important in fostering students' mental health and are closely related to each other. The 4Rs are:

(i) Rest: Help students cultivate healthy habits from an early age including having enough rest, adequate sleep and leisure activities.
(ii) Relaxation: Teach students to take the time to relax, take care of their mental health and practise self-compassion.
(iii) Relationship: Strengthen the relationships among students, teachers and students, as well as parents and children, so as to enhance their sense of connectedness; help students understand their roles and their importance in these relationships, so as to willingly take on responsibilities and make contributions.
(iv) Resilience: Equip students to adapt to the inevitable stress and setbacks in life, and teach students to deal with emotions, cope with stress and overcome difficulties with a positive attitude.

     At the Launching Ceremony, Dr Choi and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, accompanied by the mascot of the Department of Health, Active Lion, engaged in stretching exercises for relaxation together with guests. The guests of honour attending the Launching Ceremony included representatives of school councils and school heads' associations of primary and secondary schools, as well as partner organisations of the Charter at this stage, including the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Hong Kong Red Cross, the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong, the WEMP Foundation and the Child Development Initiative Alliance. In addition, the school heads' associations of the 18 districts and all government schools in Hong Kong attended and echoed the Charter at the Launching Ceremony, working together to enhance students' physical and psychological well-being. 

     Schools participating in the Charter should implement various measures and activities for the promotion of students' mental health starting from the 2024/25 school year to help students develop healthy habits, provide opportunities for them to relax and reduce stress, help them build positive interpersonal relationships, and enhance their well-being and resilience, thereby enhancing an overall healthy culture in schools. Schools should also organise parent education courses or parent-child activities to promote positive parent education every year, sharing ways to instil positivity in their children.     

     Schools participating in the Charter will sign the Mental Health Workplace Charter, jointly implemented by the Department of Health, the Labour Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Council, to provide a mental health-friendly work environment for staff. Furthermore, in order to support schools to implement health promotion in a sustainable, comprehensive and effective manner, schools participating in the Charter will also participate in the Whole School Health Programme, and formulate health promotion strategies according to the circumstances of the schools. 

     Details of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter are set out in the EDB Circular Memorandum No. 60/2024 (applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBCM/EDBCM24060C.pdf)
     and the 4Rs Mental Health Charter designated webpage (mentalhealth.edb.gov.hk/tc/promotion-at-the-universal-level/promotional-resources-for-schools/121.html). 

     The EDB appeals to all schools in the territory to join the Charter as soon as possible, instil a sense of well-being in students' everyday lives, and work together for their healthy development. The EDB will continue to strengthen the synergy through cross-departmental and cross-sectoral collaboration, with a view to helping schools utilise external and community resources for the enhancement of the promotion of students' mental health. 

      

     The Education Bureau (EDB) held the 4Rs Mental Health Charter Launching Ceremony cum Briefing Session today (April 12), marking the commencement of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter (the Charter) for the 2024/25 school year.  

     Speaking at the Launching Ceremony, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said that a harmonious and friendly school environment, a diligent and enthusiastic team of teachers, as well as healthy family relationships and lifestyles, are essential conditions for cultivating a positive new generation.  

     In order to promote mental health in schools in a more comprehensive and systematic manner, Dr Choi appealed to all schools in Hong Kong to join the Charter, thereby working together to set practical and feasible goals and take concrete actions to promote students' physical and psychological health.  

     The 4Rs in the Charter cover four elements and objectives for promoting mental health. They are equally important in fostering students' mental health and are closely related to each other. The 4Rs are:

(i) Rest: Help students cultivate healthy habits from an early age including having enough rest, adequate sleep and leisure activities.
(ii) Relaxation: Teach students to take the time to relax, take care of their mental health and practise self-compassion.
(iii) Relationship: Strengthen the relationships among students, teachers and students, as well as parents and children, so as to enhance their sense of connectedness; help students understand their roles and their importance in these relationships, so as to willingly take on responsibilities and make contributions.
(iv) Resilience: Equip students to adapt to the inevitable stress and setbacks in life, and teach students to deal with emotions, cope with stress and overcome difficulties with a positive attitude.

     At the Launching Ceremony, Dr Choi and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, accompanied by the mascot of the Department of Health, Active Lion, engaged in stretching exercises for relaxation together with guests. The guests of honour attending the Launching Ceremony included representatives of school councils and school heads' associations of primary and secondary schools, as well as partner organisations of the Charter at this stage, including the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Hong Kong Red Cross, the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong, the WEMP Foundation and the Child Development Initiative Alliance. In addition, the school heads' associations of the 18 districts and all government schools in Hong Kong attended and echoed the Charter at the Launching Ceremony, working together to enhance students' physical and psychological well-being. 

     Schools participating in the Charter should implement various measures and activities for the promotion of students' mental health starting from the 2024/25 school year to help students develop healthy habits, provide opportunities for them to relax and reduce stress, help them build positive interpersonal relationships, and enhance their well-being and resilience, thereby enhancing an overall healthy culture in schools. Schools should also organise parent education courses or parent-child activities to promote positive parent education every year, sharing ways to instil positivity in their children.     

     Schools participating in the Charter will sign the Mental Health Workplace Charter, jointly implemented by the Department of Health, the Labour Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Council, to provide a mental health-friendly work environment for staff. Furthermore, in order to support schools to implement health promotion in a sustainable, comprehensive and effective manner, schools participating in the Charter will also participate in the Whole School Health Programme, and formulate health promotion strategies according to the circumstances of the schools. 

     Details of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter are set out in the EDB Circular Memorandum No. 60/2024 (applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBCM/EDBCM24060C.pdf)
     and the 4Rs Mental Health Charter designated webpage (mentalhealth.edb.gov.hk/tc/promotion-at-the-universal-level/promotional-resources-for-schools/121.html). 

     The EDB appeals to all schools in the territory to join the Charter as soon as possible, instil a sense of well-being in students' everyday lives, and work together for their healthy development. The EDB will continue to strengthen the synergy through cross-departmental and cross-sectoral collaboration, with a view to helping schools utilise external and community resources for the enhancement of the promotion of students' mental health.