Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (March 29) that swimming pool complexes will be open for public use from April 1, or upon completion of annual maintenance, for the new swimming season. The department calls on swimmers to mind their safety and keep public swimming pools clean and hygienic while swimming.

     All public swimming pools, except Mui Wo Swimming Pool, will be open between April and October from 6.30am to 10pm for three sessions daily with two breaks. To tie in with the ferry schedule, the daily opening hours of Mui Wo Swimming Pool are from 8.30am to 10pm with two breaks. Morse Park Swimming Pool in Wong Tai Sin District has been temporarily closed for works on the provision of a heated pool. It is expected to be reopened in 2020.

     For the 16 pool complexes with both heated and non-heated swimming facilities, heated facilities will continue to operate between April 1 and 15 while non-heated facilities will come into service from April 16.

     The 16 swimming pool complexes are:

Hong Kong Island:

District                            Swimming Pool Complex

Central and Western         Kennedy Town Swimming Pool
Wan Chai                         Morrison Hill Swimming Pool
 
Kowloon:
 
District                            Swimming Pool Complex

Kowloon City                    Ho Man Tin Swimming Pool (Note 1)
Wong Tai Sin                    Hammer Hill Road Swimming Pool
Kwun Tong                       Kwun Tong Swimming Pool
Sham Shui Po                   Lai Chi Kok Park Swimming Pool
Yau Tsim Mong                 Kowloon Park Swimming Pool
 
New Territories:
 
District                            Swimming Complex

Islands                            Tung Chung Swimming Pool
North                              Fanling Swimming Pool
Sha Tin                           Hin Tin Swimming Pool
                                      Sha Tin Jockey Club Swimming Pool
Tsuen Wan                      Shing Mun Valley Swimming Pool
Tuen Mun                        Tuen Mun Swimming Pool (Note 2)
                                      Tuen Mun North West Swimming Pool
Yuen Long                       Yuen Long Swimming Pool
Sai Kung                         Tseung Kwan O Swimming Pool
 
Note 1: Ho Man Tin Swimming Pool has been temporarily closed until further notice due to urgent maintenance works.
Note 2: Heated facilities of Tuen Mun Swimming Pool will be in operation between April 8 and 15 while non-heated facilities will come into service from April 16.
 
     To maintain the hygiene of public swimming pools, each pool will be closed for thorough cleaning once a week, in addition to the routine cleaning work carried out daily. The cleaning operation will be conducted on a designated weekday (Monday to Friday) from 10am to the end of the second session. If the scheduled weekly cleaning day falls on a public holiday, cleaning will be rescheduled to another weekday in the same week.

     Individual swimming pools will be temporarily closed during certain periods in 2019 for maintenance works. Details are set out in the Annex.

     To ensure a clean environment in public swimming pools, swimmers should maintain personal hygiene and observe the pool rules, including the following points:
(a) Swimmers should shower in the changing room before entering the pool deck;
(b) Swimmers should walk through the shower bath and footbath;
(c) Swimmers should not go swimming if they feel unwell and should seek medical consultation instead;
(d) Swimmers are advised to use the toilet before swimming and should never urinate or defecate in the pools. They should leave the water immediately and use the toilet if they have to vomit; and
(e) Parents should teach their children the importance of maintaining personal and public hygiene.

     Holders of the public swimming pool monthly ticket are encouraged to apply for monthly ticket smart cards which are printed with the card holder’s portrait and preloaded with information on the validity period. The smart cards will enable holders to enter the pools easily and conveniently without having to produce documentary proof of identity. Interested monthly ticket holders can apply for smart cards free of charge at 62 ticket outlets including all District Leisure Services Offices and the booking offices of designated sports centres and leisure venues.

     For details of the opening arrangements and the schedule of the weekly cleaning operations of the public swimming pools, please visit the following websites:
www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/swim-intro/swim-location-hk.html
(swimming pools in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon); and
www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/swim-intro/swim-location-nt.html
(swimming pools in the New Territories). read more

     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (March 29) reminded people paying respects to their ancestors at graveyards in the countryside during the Ching Ming Festival period to exercise caution and prevent hill fires.
 
     An AFCD spokesman said it is an offence under the Forests and Countryside Ordinance (Cap. 96) to burn incense improperly or leave behind kindling in the countryside. Any person who contravenes the ordinance is liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 and one year’s imprisonment.
 
     “The AFCD will deploy staff and enforcement officers to patrol graveyards in the countryside during the Ching Ming Festival period. Those found breaching the law will be prosecuted. Three people were prosecuted by the AFCD for the illegal lighting of fires in different locations last year,” the spokesman said.
 
     The majority of hill fires in the territory are caused by human negligence. Accidents can be prevented if grave sweepers observe some simple guidelines:
 
 * Remove weeds around the graves with tools and never burn weeds;
 * Burning should only be done inside a container or iron bucket;
 * Never leave burning incense unattended; and
 * Make sure all kindling is put out before leaving.
 
     The spokesman said that metal containers for burning offerings properly will be handed out to grave sweepers at suitable locations in the country parks during the Ching Ming Festival, adding that barbecues should only be carried out at designated sites in the country parks.
 
     The AFCD will deploy additional country park wardens to step up the fire prevention efforts. They will patrol hill fire black spots and distribute hill fire prevention leaflets together with the Fire Services Department, the Police and the Civil Aid Service. Volunteer teams from the Hong Kong Hiking Association, China, and the Scout Association of Hong Kong will visit grave sweeping areas and hiking trails to disseminate hill fire prevention messages to the public.
 
     Members of the public are reminded to keep the countryside clean. Before leaving, grave sweepers and barbecue site users should not leave behind their offerings or rubbish. The AFCD issued fixed penalty notices to 164 persons for littering in the country parks last year. read more

     The Chief Executive has re-appointed 14 serving members and appointed four new members to the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) from April 1 for two years, the Government announced today (March 29).      A… read more

     The Government announced today (March 29) that the income and asset limits of the Working Family Allowance (WFA) Scheme would be raised from April 1 (detailed at Annex), applicable to claim months from April 2019 to March 2020.
 
     Under the WFA Scheme, the claim period of an application covers the immediate past six calendar months before the submission of the application, and an eligible household has to submit an application for every claim period.
 
     A household meeting the requirements on working hours as well as the income and asset limits may apply for a Basic Allowance ($800 per month for full rate), Medium Allowance ($1,000 per month for full rate) or Higher Allowance ($1,200 per month for full rate). Each eligible child may also be granted a Child Allowance ($1,000 per child per month for full rate). Depending on the household income, the allowances may be granted at full rate, 3/4 rate or half rate. The working hour requirements for single parents are lower. Details are tabulated below:
 

	Full rate monthly allowance (monthly household income not higher than 50 per cent Median Monthly Domestic Household Income of economically active households (MMDHIEA))	3/4 rate monthly allowance (monthly household income of more than 50 per cent but not higher than 60 per cent MMDHIEA)	Half rate monthly allowance (monthly household income of more than 60 per cent but not higher than 70 per cent MMDHIEA)
Basic Allowance: Monthly working hours of at least 144 hours (Single-parent households: 36 hours)	$800	$600	$400
Medium Allowance: Monthly working hours of at least 168 hours (Single-parent households: 54 hours)	$1,000	$750	$500
Higher Allowance: Monthly working hours of at least 192 hours (Single-parent households: 72 hours)	$1,200	$900	$600
Child Allowance (Each child or youth)	$1,000	$750	$500

Notes: All household members are allowed to aggregate their working hours for WFA applications. The WFA Scheme covers singleton households.
 
     There are 159 distribution outlets for application forms and related documents, including the Working Family Allowance Office (WFAO) and Student Finance Office (SFO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency, Job Centres and Industry-based Recruitment Centres of the Labour Department (LD), District Social Welfare Offices, Social Security Field Units and Integrated Family Service Centres of the Social Welfare Department (SWD), and the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of the Home Affairs Department.
 
     Applications can be submitted by post to PO Box No. 62600 Kwun Tong Post Office (WFAO) or through the drop-in boxes at the WFAO and SFO, the LD’s Job Centres and the SWD’s District Social Welfare Offices.
 
     Applicants are welcome to call the 24-hour hotline (2558 3000) or visit the WFAO’s enquiry counters at 9/F, 181 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, for enquiries. New applicants who have difficulty in completing the application forms can seek assistance from over 90 service units of non-governmental organisations providing form-filling service from April 9 to September 30. Information about the WFA Scheme and a list of these service units are available at the WFAO’s website (www.wfa.gov.hk).
 
     Separately, WFAO will take up the processing of individual-based Work Incentive Transport Subsidy (I-WITS) Scheme applications from LD starting from April 1. LD has issued letters to current recipients of the I-WITS on the detailed arrangements. For details of I-WITS applications from April 1, please call the WFAO’s 24-hour hotline above, approach the enquiry counters aforementioned, or browse the website of the I-WITS Scheme (www.iwits.gov.hk). read more

     The Census and Statistics Department published today (March 29) the report “Population and Household Statistics Analysed by District Council District 2018′.

     The report contains statistics on a broad range of demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population in 2018 at the District Council district level. Population characteristics like age, sex and marital status, and household characteristics like household size, household income, type and tenure of accommodation are included.

     The statistics in the report are mainly based on data collected in the General Household Survey during January to December 2018, which may be regarded as referring to the average situation of the entire year of 2018. This survey covers the land-based non-institutional population of Hong Kong (which constitutes some 99% of the Hong Kong Resident Population). Some summary statistics published in the report are shown in Table 1 and Table 2 attached.  

     Users can download the report free of charge from the website of the Census and Statistics Department at (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp150.jsp?productCode=B1130301).

     Enquiries about the contents of the report can be directed to the Household Statistics Analysis Section, Census and Statistics Department (Tel: 2887 5508 or email: ghs@censtatd.gov.hk). read more