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     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said today (February 19) that Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool in Sham Shui Po District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of faeces in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 1pm.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming.

     Hong Kong Customs today (February 18) detected a case involving possession of etomidate (the main ingredient of "space oil drug"), under the Dangerous Drug Ordinance, from an incoming passenger at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan. Two vape sticks containing suspected "space oil drug" were seized.
              
     A 30-year-old male passenger arrived Hong Kong from Shenzhen today. During Customs clearance, two vape sticks containing suspected "space oil drug" were found on him and his baggage. The man was subsequently arrested. The arrested person, claimed to be an architect, will appear at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (February 19).

     Customs will continue to step up the enforcement and combat against the trafficking of "space oil drug".

     Under the Dangerous Drug 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 report hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

  

     â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (February 18) instructed the trade to suspend the import of Ireland Dooriel Creek raw oysters from production area code MO-AN-DC. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately should they possess it.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS was notified by the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health of few food poisoning cases which involved consumption of raw oysters at a restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui. The CFS conducted investigations at the restaurant concerned and found that the restaurant had sold Ireland Dooriel Creek raw oysters from production area code MO-AN-DC. For the sake of prudence, the CFS has immediately instructed the trade to suspend the import into and sale within Hong Kong of all Ireland Dooriel Creek raw oysters from production area code MO-AN-DC."

     The CFS has also instructed the supplier and restaurants concerned to stop supplying and selling the affected raw oysters immediately, and is tracing the distribution of the affected product. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately should they possess it.

     The spokesman pointed out that as oysters feed by filtering a large volume of seawater, pathogens can accumulate in them if they are grown in or harvested from contaminated water. Raw or partially cooked oysters are high-risk foods. Susceptible groups, such as pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems or liver diseases, should avoid eating raw oysters.

     The CFS will inform the Irish authorities and will also notify the local trade. It will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health. An investigation is ongoing.

     At its meeting today (February 18), the Land and Development Advisory Committee (LDAC) was briefed on the proposed amendments to the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) in three aspects, namely speeding up building inspection and repair, rationalising the policy for handling unauthorised building works (UBWs), and enhancing building works safety. 

     Members generally supported the guiding principles and major directions of the proposals. Apart from increasing deterrence against non-compliance with Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) notices and Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS) notices (such as introducing fixed penalty, increasing the penalty levels and introducing a new offence in respect of personal injury or property damage caused by dilapidated external walls of buildings), Members emphasised the importance of providing financial and technical support to building owners and owners' corporations, especially elderly owners and those with limited means. Members agreed with the adoption of a pragmatic and facilitating approach in handling "minor UBWs" on the one hand, and enhancing enforcement effectiveness and deterrence against "serious UBWs" on the other. On enhancing building works safety, Members generally agreed with the proposals to enhance construction site safety through strengthening enforcement and enhancing registration and disciplinary systems.

     Specifically, regarding the Government's proposals to expedite building inspection and repair, Members suggested that the Government should raise awareness of the relevant regulatory requirements among the public and provide more support for the building owners in complying with MBIS and MWIS notices. For example, leaflets which present information in layman's terms should be published to facilitate understanding of the Buildings Ordinance by members of the public. 

     On handling UBWs, Members supported the Government's proposal to expand the scope of the Minor Works Control System and Designated Exempted Works by adopting a pragmatic and facilitating approach in handling "minor UBWs", and to review the scope on a regular basis. Members acknowledged the Government's intention to increase penalties and pool enforcement resources against "serious UBWs", especially those which posed significant risks to structural and public safety. Some Members also suggested that the Government should require owners to engage registered building professionals to identify the presence of UBWs for rectification before a property transaction, so as to better protect the interests of purchasers, while some Members suggested the Government to consider regularising some existing UBWs that were verified safe by relevant building professionals. 

     Members also emphasised the importance of enhancing building works safety and reducing the number of accidents at construction sites. Members suggested clearly delineating the roles and legal responsibilities of different key parties involved under the Buildings Ordinance, so that appropriate measures could be taken by all parties to improve building works safety at construction sites. Members also considered that more analysis on the statistics on accidents in construction sites would be conducive to identifying and addressing the root causes of accidents in a targeted manner. Training and education for key personnel and workers on site should also be strengthened.

     The Government is engaging the relevant stakeholders as well as members of the general public as part of the two-month consultation exercise, which will run until February 28, 2025. The Government will take into account the suggestions of the Members and the views collected during the consultation period when finalising the proposals. The target is to introduce an amendment bill into the Legislative Council in the first half of 2026.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 18) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Cheshire West and Chester District of Cheshire County in the United Kingdom (UK), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 910 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 1.34 million poultry eggs from the UK last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the British authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.