In view of the latest situation in Sri Lanka, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today (April 22) issued Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) on Sri Lanka.

     A Government spokesman said, "Residents who intend to visit the country should adjust their travel plans and avoid non-essential travel, including leisure travel. Those already there should monitor the situation, exercise caution, attend to personal safety and avoid large gatherings of people."

     The Security Bureau will closely monitor the situation there. Any update will be issued through the media and the bureau's Mobile App and OTA webpage www.sb.gov.hk/eng/ota.

     Residents in Sri Lanka who need assistance may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit (AHU) of the Immigration Department (ImmD) at (852) 1868 or contact the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka at consular protection hotline: (94) 11-2676033.

     Hong Kong residents are encouraged to use the online Registration of Outbound Travel Information service (www.gov.hk/roti) of the ImmD to register their contact details and itinerary when outside Hong Kong. The information provided allows the ImmD to disseminate practical information to them through appropriate means, including SMS on mobile phones, on a timely basis when necessary.

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     The car park at Hong Kong Wetland Park is full. Motorists going to the Park can use the nearby public car parks at Tin Heng Estate, Tin Yat Estate, Grandeur Terrace or Tin Yip Road.
 
     Members of the public are encouraged to take public transport to the Park.

     In celebration of World Book Day and to further promote reading in Hong Kong, the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) and the Education Bureau (EDB) will jointly present the 2019 World Book Day Fest at S.K.H. Holy Trinity Church Secondary School, Ho Man Tin on April 27 (Saturday). School heads, teachers and librarians of secondary and primary schools and kindergartens, as well as students and parents, are welcome to participate in the event.

     The World Book Day Fest, an annual event co-organised by SCOLAR and EDB, aims at sustaining a reading culture in the city, nurturing students' reading interest and encouraging them to develop a reading habit from a young age.

     Themed "Towards a Reading City: Folktaleoscope" this year, there will be a number of creative and inspirational game booths revolving around folktales of different cultures to allow students to discover the collective wisdom of ordinary folk.

     The Fest will also feature a number of vibrant reading activities such as reading-related experience sharing and programmes for children of different ages and their parents. These activities include a sharing session on reading by young people from diverse backgrounds, "Folktales Alfresco" at which secondary school students will share their joy of reading folktales, the much-loved "Rugby-English Active Learning" activity, a poem and painting composition workshop, all kinds of fun-filled student performances, a language orienteering challenge, a book exhibition, "Book Sharing", the Pop-up Library set up by the Hong Kong Public Library of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and much more.

     Members of the public are welcome to join the Fest and share the joy of reading. Enrolment for certain programmes is on a first-come, first-served basis and can be made via SCOLAR. Details of the Fest have been uploaded onto the SCOLAR website (scolar.gov.hk).

     Building on the strengths in the promotion of reading across the curriculum, SCOLAR and EDB aim to foster a sustainable atmosphere and culture of reading across the city by capitalising on the synergy of schools, parents and community partners through the World Book Day Fest.

     The Hong Kong Council of Social Service's Community Housing Movement not only provides accommodation to those in need, but also gives them opportunities to connect with each other and to form a close-knit community. 

     News.gov.hk spoke to a resident of the movement's co-living space in To Kwa Wan to see how tenants help each other out.

     The story appears on news.gov.hk today (April 22) in text and video format.

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Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (April 22) that due to a suspected red tide sighting, red flag has been hoisted at Silver Mine Bay Beach in Islands District.  Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach until further notice.