The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 22) following up on two clusters of Candida auris carrier cases involving a total of nine residents from two residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), and reminded members of the public about the proper use of antimicrobials and maintaining personal hygiene against infection.

     The first cluster involved three residents of an RCHE in Sha Tin. The first two cases were a 93-year-old male and a 91-year-old male. They had been admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital and Shatin Hospital earlier, and were related to cluster of Candida auris cases in the hospitals. Contact tracings and screenings conducted at the RCHE found another carrier case involving an 83-year-old male. The CHP believed that he was infected in the RCHE. The three residents with underlying illnesses have no symptoms of infection, and are in stable condition.

     The second cluster involved an RCHE in Sham Shui Po with a total of six cases. The first case was a 73-year-old male resident, who was confirmed to have carried Candida auris during his stay at the Caritas Medical Centre. He returned to the RCHE after discharged. Upon the CHP’s contact tracing and screening at the RCHE, two male and three female residents were also found to be carrier cases. They are aged between 65 and 92. All of the six residents with underlying illness have no symptoms of infection and are in stable condition.

     The CHP is continuing its investigation on the infection source of the two clusters, and a site inspection has been conducted. The RCHE concerned in Sham Shui Po has been identified by the CHP as having a cluster of Candida auris carrier cases in April last year.

     The CHP has provided infection control advice and training to staff of the RCHE again. The RCHE is advised to follow the prevailing guidelines to enhance infection control measures including the appropriate placement of carrier residents, strict implementation of contact precautions, enhancement of environmental cleansing and disinfection, use of dedicated medical equipment, toilet and bathing facilities to prevent the spread of Candida auris. The CHP will keep in close liaison with the RCHE concerned, monitor the situation of the residents and ensure that the RCHE has carried out the various infection control measures.

     A spokesman for the CHP explained that Candida is a fungus commonly found in the natural environment, particularly in moist and warm environments. In humans, it is commonly found in body sites such as the oral cavity, the digestive tract, the skin and the vagina. It is a common fungus living on or in the human body but can occasionally cause infections, especially in individuals with impaired immunity.

     â€‹Among the different candida species, Candida auris is more drug-resistant. Infections vary from being mild to potentially life-threatening or fatal, depending on which part of the body is affected and the general health condition of the patient. The spokesman stressed that proper use of antimicrobials and maintaining personal hygiene, especially hand hygiene, are crucial to the prevention of the emergence and cross-transmission of Candida auris.

     Hong Kong Customs today (March 22) reminded members of the public to stay alert to three models of suspected unsafe nail polish products. Members of the public should pay extra care with regard to safety and the potential carcinogenicity of such products.

     Customs earlier received referrals from a related organisation that three models of suspected unsafe nail polish products were being supplied on the market. Customs officers immediately conducted inspections at different districts and successfully test-purchased three models for safety tests by the laboratory.

     According to the test results, the three models of the nail polish products contained naphthalene which was a prohibited ingredient as stipulated in the relevant safety and technical standards for cosmetics. Therefore, the products concerned are suspected of failing to comply with the general safety requirements of the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (CGSO). 

     Moreover, Customs also found that one of the products concerned only bore warnings or cautions in Korean without any English and Chinese warnings or cautions, suspected to be in contravention of the Consumer Goods Safety Regulation (CGSR), a subsidiary legislation of the CGSO.

     Customs officers subsequently conducted operations and seized a total of 58 pieces of two models of the suspected unsafe nail polish products from a retailer and importer in Causeway Bay, and a wholesaler and importer in Sheung Wan.

     Furthermore, Customs officers also conducted spot checks and inspections in various districts. None of the three models has been found on sale for the time being.

     An investigation is ongoing.

     Customs reminds members of the public to observe the following safety tips when purchasing and using nail polish products:
     • Read in detail the instructions for safe use of the products;
     • To avoid inhalation of harmful substances, keeping windows open to ensure adequate ventilation when using the products;
     • Stop using the products and seek medical attention immediately if feeling unwell after use; 
     • Do not buy or use products from doubtful sources; and
     • Purchase products at reputable retail shops.

     Under the CGSO, it is an offence to supply, manufacture or import into Hong Kong consumer goods unless the goods comply with the general safety requirements for consumer goods. Under the CGSR, where consumer goods or their packages are marked with warnings or cautions with respect to their safe keeping, use, consumption or disposal, such warnings or cautions shall be in both English and Chinese languages. Moreover, the warning or caution phrases must be legibly and conspicuously shown on the goods, any package of the goods, a label securely affixed to the package or a document enclosed in the package. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent conviction.

     Members of the public with information relating to unsafe or law-breaking consumer goods may make a report via Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or by filling in an online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/). 

  

     The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at a construction site in Kwai Chung yesterday afternoon (March 21), in which a male worker was suspected of having fallen from a bamboo scaffold on the external wall of a building to the ground. He was certified dead at the scene. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family.

     The LD's spokesman said, "We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the contractors concerned, suspending the erection, alteration, dismantling and use of the bamboo scaffold on the external wall of the building at the construction site. The contractors cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken."
 
      The spokesman added, "We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."
 
     The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years on conviction on indictment; or $3 million and imprisonment for six months on summary conviction.
 
     In regard to yesterday's accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and by email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers' unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.

     The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees' compensation under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees' compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.

     For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.

     The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (March 22) that a site, Chai Wan Inland Lot No.185 at Cheung Man Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong, will be disposed of by public tender for development of Private Subsidised Sale Flats (Private SSFs) under the Private SSF Pilot Scheme launched by the Government last year. The tender invitation for the lot will commence on March 28 and close on July 19.
 
     Chai Wan Inland Lot No. 185 has a site area of about 5 213 square metres and is designated for non-industrial (excluding godown, hotel and petrol filling station) purposes. The minimum gross floor area for private residential purposes is 30 016 sq m and the maximum gross floor area for private residential purposes that may be attained is 41 704 sq m. The maximum gross floor area for non-industrial (excluding private residential, godown, hotel and petrol filling station) purposes is computed according to the relevant special condition in the Conditions of Sale. Both the total gross floor area and that for non-industrial (excluding private residential, godown, hotel and petrol filling station) purposes shall include the gross floor area of Government Accommodation, being a day care centre for the elderly and a centre for home care services for frail elderly persons, to be constructed by the purchaser under the Conditions of Sale. Not less than 700 residential units shall be developed within the lot under the Private SSF Pilot Scheme.

     Land sale documents including the Form of Tender, the Tender Notice, the Conditions of Sale and the sale plan of the lot will be available for downloading from the LandsD website (www.landsd.gov.hk) from March 28, while the sale plan will be available for inspection by the public from the same day until the close of the tender. The sale plan in hard copy form may also be purchased at the Survey and Mapping Office of the LandsD, 6/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong, from March 28 until the close of the tender. The particulars of the tender will be gazetted on March 28.

     It is no easy task for preserving ancient Chinese paintings and calligraphy which have undergone centuries of historical evolution, thanks to the meticulous craftmanship of traditional mounting techniques. The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) has organised the "Seeing Art Anew: Mounting and Conservation of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy" exhibition, which focuses on selected research studies of the Chih Lo Lou Collection. With the support of the Conservation Office, the exhibition organised by the HKMoA's curatorial team explores Chinese paintings and calligraphy from artistic and scientific perspectives, providing the public with insights into the conservation work behind the scenes of a museum. The exhibition was opened to the public today (March 22) at the HKMoA.

     The exhibition commences with an introduction to "Landscape" by Lan Ying from the Chih Lo Lou Collection. It takes around 16 sets of artworks selected from the Collection as examples to showcase the materials, formats and methods in the traditional Chinese mounting of paintings and calligraphy. Deviating from conventional curatorial approaches, this exhibition not only explores the artistic styles of the works but also incorporates scientific analyses and generates images and videos through scientific equipment, providing scientific insights into the materials and mounting techniques of Chinese paintings and calligraphy for discussion and research.

     On the conservation and protection of Chinese paintings and calligraphy, the exhibition showcases the preservation process and outcomes of the Chih Lo Lou Collection, underscoring the significance of the application of the latest non-invasive analytical techniques in the study and preservation of Chinese paintings and calligraphy. Throughout the exhibition period, the Assistant Curators from the Conservation Office will regularly conduct demonstrations on the mounting of Chinese paintings and calligraphy as well as their conservation work. Engaging closely with the conservators, visitors can gain valuable knowledge and insights in preserving these artworks.

     Echoing the theme of merging art and science, the museum has invited local art group XR Experience to feature a series of multimedia displays for the exhibition. Among these displays is a 16-metre-long graphic portraying a conservation laboratory. Through the use of augmented reality technology, mounting tools come to life, gradually revealing the step-by-step processes on the wall. In the other corner of the gallery, the space is transformed into a fantastical conservation laboratory by the group's talented illustrator. Using projection, they introduce a variety of commonly used mounting tools. Furthermore, the art group has designed an interactive animation titled "A day of a Conservator" which allows visitors to experience the work of a conservator and gain first-hand insights into their work.

     The Chih Lo Lou Collection, one of the three major private collections of ancient Chinese paintings and calligraphy in Hong Kong, was assembled by the late philanthropist and connoisseur of Chinese art, Mr Ho Iu-kwong (1907-2006). The Ho family generously donated 365 works from the Chih Lo Lou Collection to the HKMoA in 2018 and 2021 respectively. The Chih Lo Lou Gallery of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy was set up to display the collection.

     The exhibition will run until February 12 next year at the Chih Lo Lou Gallery of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy on the fourth floor of the HKMoA (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon). For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/Seeing-Art-Anew.html or call 2721 0116 for enquiries.