â€‹The Catering Industry Safety Promotional Campaign 2023/2024 was officially launched today (March 15). The first phase of promotional activities including the Catering Industry Safety Photo and Slogan Competition and Catering Industry Safety Quiz are open for registration until April 14.
      
     The campaign, jointly organised by the Labour Department (LD) and the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC), aims to enhance the awareness of workplace safety and health among employers, employees, industry players in the catering industry and the general public, as well as encourage the catering industry to create a safer and healthier working environment.
      
     The Catering Industry Safety Photo and Slogan Competition is divided into two categories. Catering establishments holding valid operation licences or members of the public aged 18 or above can participate in the competition as catering establishments or individuals respectively. Participants are required to take a photo and create a slogan of not more than 20 Chinese or English words with the theme of "Safety is of Paramount Importance for Catering Work". There will be gold, silver, bronze and meritorious prizes in each category, and each winner will receive a trophy and a cash coupon.
      
     In addition, the campaign also features the Catering Industry Safety Quiz. Catering establishments or members of the public aged 15 or above can participate as catering establishments or individuals respectively. Participants will have to answer 10 catering industry-related occupational safety and health questions in the quiz competition form and submit it to the organisers. The top 30 participants scoring the highest marks in each category will be awarded cash coupons.
      
     Apart from the LD and the OSHC, the other nine co-organisers of the activities include the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board, the Hong Kong Catering Industry Association, the Hong Kong Hotels Association, the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades, the Association of Restaurant Managers, the Institute of Dining Professionals, the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management Ltd, the Food and Beverage Management and Professional Staff Association and the Eating Establishment Employees General Union.
      
     Those interested in participating in the Catering Industry Safety Photo and Slogan Competition and the Catering Industry Safety Quiz may download the application forms and brochures from the LD's website (https://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/catering_industry_safety.htm). They can also be obtained from the Occupational Safety and Health Branch Offices of the LD, or the OSHC at 19/F, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point. Enquiries can be made on 2852 3567 or 2852 3565.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (March 15) that the park located east of Fan Kam Road (i.e. part of the Old Course of the Fanling Golf Course) will reopen for public use on March 17 at 9am. The park was temporarily closed early on to facilitate the holding of LIV Golf Hong Kong at the Fanling Golf Course.

     Part of the Inclusive Park for Pets will reopen on that day with opening hours from 9am to 6pm. Other closed area and the walking trail will gradually reopen after inspection and maintenance. The fee-charging public carpark has reopened for public use on March 12.

     For enquiries, please contact the venue staff at 2295 3118 or the North District Leisure Services Office at 2679 2819.

      Hong Kong Customs yesterday (March 14) detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport. About 8.2 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $1.7 million were seized.
      
     A 19-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found 14 bags of suspected cannabis buds, with a total weight of about 8.2kg, inside his check-in suitcase. The male passenger was subsequently arrested.
      
     The arrested man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (March 16).
      
     Following the resumption of normal travel and exchanges with the Mainland and other parts of the world, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has also been increasing steadily. Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
      
     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
      

  

     The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) today (March 15) announced the launch of a new round of the Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland (Thematic Programmes) to provide young people with thematic internship opportunities in cultural, nature conservation and scientific research institutions on the Mainland. 
      
     In his 2023 Policy Address, the Chief Executive emphasised that the Government will sustain its efforts in promoting youth development. This includes continuing to implement various youth exchange and internship programmes on the Mainland and overseas to provide suitable opportunities for young people of different development stages and backgrounds, so that they can gain first-hand understanding and experience of the latest developments of the country and the world. In this regard, the Government collaborates with relevant Mainland institutions to launch the Thematic Programmes to provide Hong Kong young people with diverse, unique and in-depth internship opportunities. Six internships will be rolled out under the new round of the Thematic Programmes, including:
 

1. Hong Kong-Macao Youth Internship Programme at Palace Museum, co-organised with the Palace Museum in Beijing;
2. Youth Internship Programme at Wolong Region of Giant Panda National Park, co-organised with the Sichuan Provincial Administration of the Giant Panda National Park;
3. Youth Internship Programme at Chinese Academy of Sciences, co-organised with the Chinese Academy of Sciences;
4. Youth Internship Programme at Dunhuang, co-organised with the Dunhuang Academy;
5. Youth Internship Programme at Shandong on Marine Sciences, co-organised with Laoshan National Laboratory at Qingdao, and
6. Youth Internship Programme at Wuyishan on Biodiversity Conservation, co-organised with the Wuyishan National Park Administration.

 
     The internship programmes will commence from June to August this year and last for three to six weeks, providing Hong Kong youths with more than 110 thematic internship positions covering areas such as cultural heritage preservation, scientific research and technology, and ecological and environmental conservation. Through the internship, participants will gain an in-depth understanding and participate in the work of national cultural, nature conservation, and scientific research institutions, and acquire unique work experience by undertaking various training and research projects under the guidance of experts.
      
     Applicants should be local full-time post-secondary students (including sub-degree, undergraduate and post-graduate students) holding a Hong Kong identity card. Apart from internships, the co-organisers will also provide training, field trips and other cultural exchange activities for participants, thereby deepening their understanding of the local culture and industry developments.
     â€‹
     Details of the new round of the Thematic Programmes are available on the website of the Youth Development Commission (www.ydc.gov.hk/en/programmes/ip/ip_youththematic.html).

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (March 15) reported the latest number of dengue fever (DF) cases, and urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel.
     
     From March 8 to yesterday (March 14), the CHP recorded one imported DF case. The patient had been to Indonesia during the incubation period.
     
     As of yesterday, 10 imported cases of DF had been recorded in 2024. In 2023, 62 imported cases of DF were recorded.
 
     According to the World Health Organization, the global incidence of DF has markedly increased over the past two decades, posing a substantial public health challenge. Since the beginning of 2023, ongoing transmission, combined with an unexpected spike in DF cases, has resulted in close to a historic high of over 5 million cases and more than 5 000 dengue-related deaths reported in over 80 countries/territories. Several countries in Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh and Thailand, have reported a notable surge in dengue cases in 2023 compared to previous years, whereas the most affected countries in the Western Pacific region are the Philippines and Vietnam. In 2024, several countries in the Americas, in particular Brazil and Peru, have reported a significant increase in the number of cases during the first weeks of the year. As such, members of the public, while travelling abroad, should stay vigilant and carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures. Detailed information on the latest DF situation in Hong Kong, as well as neighbouring and overseas countries and areas, has been uploaded to the CHP website (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf).
 
     "Apart from general measures, travellers returning from areas affected by DF should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. If feeling unwell, seek medical advice promptly and provide travel details to the doctor," a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     The public should take heed of the following advice on mosquito control:
 

• Thoroughly check all gully traps, roof gutters, surface channels and drains to prevent blockage;
• Scrub and clean drains and surface channels with an alkaline detergent compound at least once a week to remove any deposited mosquito eggs;
• Properly dispose of refuse, such as soft drink cans, empty bottles and boxes, in covered litter containers;
• Completely change the water of flowers and plants at least once a week. The use of saucers should be avoided if possible;
• Level irregular ground surfaces before the rainy season;
• Avoid staying in shrubby areas; and
• Take personal protective measures such as wearing light-coloured long-sleeved clothes and trousers and apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothing or uncovered areas of the body when doing outdoor activities.

    
     DEET-containing insect repellents are effective and the public should take heed of the tips below:
 

• Read the label instructions carefully first;
• Apply right before entering an area with risk of mosquito bites;
• Apply on exposed skin and clothing;
• Use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children*;
• Apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent; and
• Re-apply only when needed and follow the instructions.

    
     * For children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent.
 
     â€‹â€‹The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems and may visit the following pages for more information: the DF page of the CHP and the Travel Health Service, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, and the CHP Facebook Page and YouTube Channel.