The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 21) that in view of a notification from the the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza in the states of Guerrero and Tlaxcala in Mexico, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from these areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with Mexico for import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. In the first three months of this year, no poultry meat from Mexico was imported into Hong Kong.

     "The CFS has contacted the Mexican authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate actions will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

     Hongkong Post announced today (May 21) that, as advised by the postal administration of the United States, mail delivery services to Chicago (postcodes 400XX to 799XX) have returned to normal.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has announced that the lifesaving services at Cafeteria Old Beach in Tuen Mun District resumed today (May 21). The lifesaving services at the beach were suspended earlier due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty.

     The Transport Department (TD) today (May 21) announced that two auctions of personalised vehicle registration marks (PVRMs) will be held on June 8 (Saturday) and 16 (Sunday) at Meeting Room S421, L4, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.
 
     "A total of 242 and 249 approved PVRMs will be put up for public auction. The lists of the marks were posted on the department's website, www.td.gov.hk, today," a department spokesman said.
 
     The reserve price of all these marks is $5,000. Applicants who have paid a deposit of $5,000 should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price). Otherwise, the PVRM concerned may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.
 
     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:
 
(i) Paddle bidding will be used at this auction.
 
(ii) The display of a PVRM on a motor vehicle should be in compliance with the requirements stipulated in Schedule 4 of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations.
 
(iii) Any change to the arrangement of letters, numerals and blank spaces of a PVRM, i.e. single and two rows as auctioned, will not be allowed.
 
(iv) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through the Easy Pay System (EPS), or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM immediately after the bidding of the PVRM concerned.  Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted. For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.
 
(v) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the PVRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the PVRM within 12 months, allocation of the PVRM will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     "Upon completion of the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM, the purchaser will be issued a receipt and a Certificate of Allocation of Personalised Registration Mark. The Certificate of Allocation will serve to prove the holdership of the PVRM. Potential buyers of vehicles bearing a PVRM should check the Certificate of Allocation with the sellers and pay attention to the details therein. For transfer of vehicle ownership, this certificate together with other required documents should be sent to the TD for processing," the spokesman said.
 
     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of PVRM, which is available at the department's licensing offices or can be downloaded from its website, www.td.gov.hk.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) Bills Committee on National Anthem Bill will hold a meeting this Friday (May 24) at 8.45am in Conference Room 2 of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, members of the Bills Committee will meet with the Government.

     Meanwhile, the first meeting of the LegCo Subcommittee on District Councils Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 7) Order 2019 and Maximum Amount of Election Expenses (District Council Election) (Amendment) Regulation 2019 originally scheduled for today (May 21) at 4.30pm has been cancelled.