The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 1) investigating two suspected food poisoning clusters affecting nine persons, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent food-borne diseases.

     The first cluster involved two males and three females, aged 6 to 54, who developed abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever about 2 to 11 hours after having lunch at a restaurant in Yau Tsim Mong District on February 24.
 
     Another cluster involved one male and three females, aged 35 to 68, who developed similar symptoms about 5 to 12 hours after having lunch at the same restaurant on February 25.

     Seven of the affected persons sought medical advice. Among them, four required hospitalisation and three were discharged following treatment. The stool specimen collected from one patient tested positive for Salmonella upon laboratory testing. All patients are in a stable condition.
 
    "We have alerted the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to the incident and investigations are ongoing," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     To prevent food-borne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out:
 

• Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
• Avoid eating raw seafood;
• Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters, at a buffet;
• Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before eating during a hot pot or barbecue meal;
• Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process;
• Use two sets of chopsticks and utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Do not patronise illegal food hawkers;
• Drink boiled water;
• Do not try to use salt, vinegar, wine and wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
• Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.

     With the completion of Phase II of Tsui Ping River Garden, the entire Tsui Ping River Garden is open from today (March 1) to provide an attractive public open space for the community.

     Officiating at the Opening Ceremony cum Community Planting of Tsui Ping River Garden today, the Head of the Energizing Kowloon East Office (EKEO), Ms Brenda Au, said the EKEO endeavours to facilitate the transformation of Kowloon East into another core business district. In addition to reprovisioning Shing Yip Street Rest Garden as Tsui Ping River Garden, the future Tsui Ping River will provide more quality public open space for public enjoyment.

     She added that the land released from Shing Yip Street Rest Garden together with the adjoining site will be used for commercial development. These changes will add vitality and a create synergy effect in the district.

     Assistant Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Leisure Services), Mrs Doris Fok, said at the event that Tsui Ping River Garden, with an area of about 5 800 square meters, is 1 100 sq m larger than Shing Yip Street Rest Garden. Various facilities including a covered multi-purpose area, an elderly fitness corner, a featured lawn area, a viewing deck, rain shelters, a small water feature, landscaped areas and other ancillary facilities are provided.  The stepped seats next to the multipurpose area can accommodate about 200 people for resting or enjoying activities to be held there.

     Located at the junction of Shing Yip Street and King Yip Street, the construction of Tsui Ping River Garden involved the reprovisioning of part of Shing Yip Street Rest Garden. Phase I of the garden was opened in November last year.

      

     Police today (March 1) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Tuen Mun.

     Or Kai-kwong, aged 64, went missing after he was last seen in a clinic on Tuen Lee Street on February 26 afternoon. Staff of his elderly home made a report to Police on the same day.

     He is about 1.6 metres tall, 50 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a long face with yellow complexion and black short hair. He was last seen wearing a red jacket, white polo shirt with blue stripe, dark trousers and black shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3113 or 6273 5787, or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     Following are the opening remarks by the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, at the press conference on innovation and technology (I&T) initiatives in the 2019-20 Budget today (March 1):
 
     Welcome to today's press conference. I would like to make a brief introduction first, before opening the floor to questions.
 
     A vibrant ecosystem is essential for the development of innovation and technology. The various initiatives launched by the Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB) since its establishment in late 2015 have been aiming at perfecting the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong. In the past three years or so, through the initiatives on various fronts including building I&T infrastructure, promoting research and development (R&D), pooling and training I&T talent, supporting technology enterprises and promoting re-industrialisation, we have greatly enhanced our I&T ecosystem.
 
     On I&T infrastructure, Stage 1 of the Science Park Expansion Programme, Data Technology Hub and Advanced Manufacturing Centre in the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate will be progressively completed between this year and 2022. We are working at full steam for the Advance Works of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop. Our target is to make available the first batch of land parcels by 2021 or earlier for superstructure construction.
 
     On promoting R&D, the super tax deduction for qualifying R&D expenditure had been implemented in 2018/19 financial year. In addition, we have earmarked $10 billion to establish two research clusters at the Hong Kong Science Park, with a view to attracting overseas and Mainland top-notch R&D institutions to undertake collaborative research with our local institutions in Hong Kong. A number of world-renowned institutions have already expressed interests in joining the clusters and collaborating with universities in Hong Kong.
 
     On pooling and training talent, we launched the Technology Talent Admission Scheme and the Technology Talent Scheme last year to attract non-local talent and nurture local talent. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) is building the InnoCell adjacent to the Science Park for completion by 2021 or earlier. This will provide technology talent with suitable space for living and exchange.
 
     In order to support technology enterprises, we have set up the $2 billion Innovation and Technology Venture Fund to co-invest in local I&T start-ups with partner venture capital funds. We have also injected additional funding to HKSTPC and Cyberport respectively in 2018 for enhancing support to their tenants and incubatees.
 
     On promoting re-industrialisation, we plan to set up a $2 billion Re-industrialisation Funding Scheme within this year to subsidise manufacturers, on a matching basis, to set up smart production lines in Hong Kong. We will also provide another $2 billion to HKSTPC for developing dedicated facilities required by the advanced manufacturing sector in our industrial estates.
 
     In the Budget announced two days ago, an additional $6 billion will be invested for I&T development through providing hardware facilities, training talent and enhancing existing initiatives. I shall briefly introduce the relevant measures.
 
     First, the Budget earmarked a provision of $5.5 billion for constructing Cyberport 5 to provide a gross floor area of 66 000 square metres, including office, co-working space, multi-functional hall and data services platform. The expansion will attract more quality technology companies and start-ups, and provide a platform for young people to pursue a career in I&T.
 
     In addition, we will deploy $500 million to implement the IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools Programme, providing funding to 500 publicly funded secondary schools in Hong Kong to set up IT innovation labs. Each school may apply a maximum of $1 million in the coming three school years to procure information technology equipment and professional services such as cloud service, and organise IT-related extra-curricular activities, thereby promoting the interest of our young people in information technologies such as big data analytics and blockchain as well as other technology areas starting from their secondary school years.
 
     We will also enhance the Researcher Programme (formerly known as the Internship Programme) and the Postdoctoral Hub Programme. Specific measures include increasing the monthly allowance for researchers and extending the maximum engagement period for the two programmes from two years to three years.
 
     Lastly, we will regularise the Technology Voucher Programme and introduce enhancement measures, including doubling the funding ceiling to $400,000, expanding the eligibility to cover statutory organisations and locally incorporated companies currently exempted from business registration, increasing the maximum number of approved projects from three to four, and streamlining application and monitoring procedures. These measures will incentivise more local companies and institutions to use technology to improve efficiency and services.
 
     Developing I&T can bring huge economic benefits to Hong Kong. I&T can nurture new industries and create wealth, drive the transformation and upgrading of the overall economic structure, bring quality job opportunities for young people and improve the quality of life of our citizens. We will continue to develop I&T along the eight major areas set forth by the Chief Executive in her Policy Address, and continue to enhance Hong Kong's I&T ecosystem.
 
     Last but not least, I call upon everyone to continue to support ITB's work. Thank you very much.

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 1) investigating an outbreak of influenza-like illness at a primary school in Kwun Tong, and again reminded the public to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene against influenza.
 
     The outbreak involves 12 boys and eight girls aged 6 to 8 who developed fever, cough and sore throat since February 21. Nineteen of them sought medical attention and none required hospitalisation. All of them are now in a stable condition.
 
     Officers of the CHP have conducted a site visit and advised the school to adopt necessary infection control measures against respiratory infections. The school has been put under medical surveillance.
 
     A spokesman for the CHP said, "To prevent outbreaks of influenza and other respiratory infections, it is of prime importance that children with fever, regardless of the presence of respiratory symptoms, should not be allowed to attend school. They should seek medical advice and avoid school till 48 hours after the fever has subsided. Schools should also measure and record students' body temperature properly."

     Schools are reminded to follow the Guidelines on Prevention of Communicable Diseases on preventive and control measures as well as management of outbreaks, which should be reported to the CHP for prompt follow-up.

     "The latest surveillance data showed that the local influenza activity has continued to decrease from the peak level in January but remained above the baseline threshold. We urge the community to continue heightening its vigilance against seasonal influenza. As young children are particularly affected in this influenza season, we appeal to parents who have not yet arranged vaccination for their children in this season to do so as soon as possible to strengthen their personal protection," the spokesman added.
 
     Apart from children, people aged 50 to 64 years, the elderly and those with underlying illnesses who have not yet received influenza vaccination this season are also urged to get vaccinated as early as possible to prevent seasonal influenza as it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop in the body after vaccination. Medical advice should be sought promptly if influenza-like symptoms develop so that appropriate treatment can be initiated as early as possible to prevent potential complications. Parents and carers are reminded to render assistance in prevention, care and control for vulnerable people.

     Besides receiving seasonal influenza vaccine for personal protection, the public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene for protection against influenza and other respiratory illnesses. For more information, please visit the CHP's influenza page and weekly Flu Express.