Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (April 2) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Hung Shing Yeh Beach and Pui O Beach in Islands District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
​The spokesman for the Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKOH) made the following appeal today (April 2) regarding an inpatient leaving the hospital without notifying hospital staff:
A 43-year-old male patient left the surgical ward without notifying hospital staff at around 8pm yesterday (April 1) night.
Upon departure of the patient without informing the ward, security guards were deployed to search for the patient within the hospital compound and the vicinity. The hospital also reported to the Police for assistance. The patient is yet to be located.
The hospital is very concerned about the incident and will fully co-operate with the Police in order to locate the patient.
The patient is about 1.7 meters tall, long hair and of thin body build. According to CCTV footage, the patient was wearing patient clothes when he left the hospital.
The hospital appeals to the public to contact the hospital at 2208 1256 or the Police if they know the whereabouts of the patient. TKOH has reported the case to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advanced Incident Reporting System.
​In response to a recent media report regarding the issue that the dioxins found in hairy crab samples from a Ha Pak Nai crab farm exceeding the limit was suspected to be due to nearby rivers contaminated by the New Territories West (WENT) Landfill, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 1) made a clarification that sampling and testing results showed that the river water was not polluted, while detailed dioxin composition analysis further confirmed that the source of dioxins in hairy crabs was not from the environment or landfill near the crab farm.
A spokesman for the EPD said that, upon receiving complaints last year, the Department collected water and sediment samples along Tai Shui Hang between the WENT Landfill and the Ha Pak Nai crab farm for testing in September and October. The analytical results showed that no dioxins were detected in the water sample, and the levels of dioxin and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in the sediment samples were also very low, similar to those of normal environmental background levels.
The spokesman explained, "The EPD conducted a detailed comparison of the compositions of dioxins in hairy crab tissue samples from the crab farm and that in sediment samples from Tai Shui Hang. It was found that the composition of the two sets of samples was completely different, indicating that the source of dioxins contaminating the hairy crabs was not from the environment or the landfill near the crab farm."
The WENT Landfill has been designed and constructed as a secure containment facility incorporating multilayer composite liner systems covering the entire surface area of the site. All contaminated effluent within the landfill is collected and treated to ensure that there will not be any contaminated discharges from the landfill to the rivers nearby. The EPD also conducts regular river water quality monitoring at Tai Shui Hang. The results showed that the water quality has been maintained at an excellent level, the aquatic ecosystem remained normal, and there were no sign of pollution (see Annex).
Since hairy crabs have high fat content and are bottom dwellers, their meat is comparatively easy to accumulate dioxins. During the culture period, if hairy crabs are affected by other human factors, such as using dioxin-contaminated feed or introducing dioxin-contaminated organisms to the culture environment, the farm and its culture hairy crabs will be exposed to dioxin contamination. The Government will continue supporting local farmers in hairy crab culture. To reduce the possibility of the above-mentioned situation, the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) will strengthen the monitoring of local hairy crab farms, including increasing the sampling and testing of feed as well as requiring the farm operators to implement biosecurity measures strictly. If any abnormality is observed, the operators must report it immediately to the AFCD so that the AFCD will take appropriate follow-up action as soon as possible.
Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:
The Marine Department today (April 1) reminded masters, coxswains and persons-in-charge of vessels navigating in Hong Kong waters to proceed at a safe speed and exercise extreme caution because restricted visibility of less than 2 nautical miles has been reported. Appropriate sound signals shall be made when underway or at anchor. All vessels must comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea.
Also, when radar is used without the benefit of adequate plotting facilities, the information obtained from the equipment is rather limited and should be construed accordingly.
Visibility reports are broadcast by the Vessel Traffic Centre (VTC) on VHF channels 02, 12, 14, 63 and 67.
In the event of an accident, a report shall be made immediately to the VTC at Tel: 2233 7801.
The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, yesterday (March 31) and today (April 1) led a delegation of Chinese history teachers on a study tour of historical sites of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in Yan'an.
To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and reinforce the Education Bureau (EDB)'s promotion of the teaching strategy of "learning history through cultural artefacts" in recent years, the EDB organised "Retracing the footsteps of revolutionary predecessors: from Yan'an to Xi'an – a study tour for Chinese history teachers". Through field trips to Xi'an and Yan'an in Shaanxi Province as well as sharing and exchanges, teachers learned about the essence and significance of the Long March Spirit and the Yan'an Spirit, towards subsequently incorporating their insights into teaching.
Dr Choi led the delegation to a number of historical sites, including the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall, to learn about the revolutionary history of the Communist Party of China and the developments and experiences during the Yan'an period, and explore ways to deepen the study of history through the cultural artefacts and historical resources of the memorial hall.
Dr Choi said that it was the first time that the EDB organised the Yan'an revolutionary history study tour, and it was of a pioneering significance. Apart from retracing the footsteps of revolutionary predecessors and learning about the hardships of the Communist Party of China in building the country, teachers were given opportunities to appreciate important archaeological discoveries in Shaanxi Province and learn about the scientific preservation and restoration of cultural artefacts during the tour, deepening their understanding of "learning history through cultural artefacts".
Dr Choi hoped that teachers will bring back their insights to Hong Kong and integrate them into their classroom teaching, deepen students' understanding of the arduous journey of the Communist Party of China in building the country, and teach them the importance of cherishing the hard-earned achievements that did not come easily. She also hoped that teachers can collectively forge ahead with their fellow educators to promote Chinese history education, and guide students to cultivate interests in and discover the meaning of learning Chinese history.
Dr Choi expressed gratitude to the Department of Education of Shaanxi Province, the Education Bureau of Yan'an City and various units for their strong support for the exchange activities, enabling the smooth conduction of the study tour.
More than 20 secondary school Chinese history teachers participated in the study tour. In addition to visiting historical sites, the delegation toured the Shaanxi Archaeology Museum and Northwest University. They also observed lessons and conducted professional exchanges on teaching resources at a secondary school in Yan'an.
Dr Choi will depart tomorrow (April 2) for Kunming, Yunnan, to continue her visit.
