The following press release is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
      
     In light of the Easter holidays, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) announced today (April 8) its public service arrangements for next week as follows:
      

• All Estate Management Offices (EMOs) of public housing estates will be open from 10am to 4pm next Tuesday (April 14), Wednesday (April 15) and Friday (April 17) to provide limited general management services for public housing estates and handle cases with prior appointments. For enquiries outside the opening hours, residents may call the contact telephone numbers provided by the respective EMOs, and staff will render assistance as much as practicable. EMOs' shroff offices will be closed. Residents can pay rent at more than 1 000 locations, such as convenience stores and supermarkets. They may also make payments via the Payment by Phone Service (PPS). For details, please browse the following website: www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/public-housing/rent-related-matters/rent-payment-methods/index.html;

• The following subsidised housing offices will provide limited services from 10am to 4pm next Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday:

     – The White Form Secondary Market Scheme Unit in the Lok Fu Customer Service Centre;
     – The Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Secondary Market Scheme Unit in Lung Cheung Office Block, Wong Tai Sin; and
     – The Home Assistance Loan Unit in Lung Cheung Office Block, Wong Tai Sin;
      

• The HOS Sales Unit in the Lok Fu Customer Service Centre and the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Sales Unit in Kwun Tong will continue to be open only for applicants with prior appointments;

• The Sham Shui Po Housing Information Centre will continue to be closed until further notice. The Public Rental Housing (PRH) application office in Lok Fu Customer Service Centre will be open from 8am to 4pm next Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday to provide limited services in relation to matters involving PRH applications;

• The Clearance Housing Office and the Redevelopment Sub-section offices (Pak Tin and Mei Tung) will be open from 10am to 4pm next Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday to provide limited services in relation to matters involving clearance housing or redevelopment;

• The Shroff Office on the Ground Floor of the HA Headquarters will be open from 10am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 4pm from Tuesday (April 14) to Friday (April 17) to provide limited services. All payment collection services (including premium payments by Subsidised Sale Flats Scheme owners to enable them to complete transactions of their flats) with the exception of rental payment collection will be in operation.

     In addition, due to the above work arrangements, the HA may not be able to reply to public enquiries, requests or complaints in a timely manner.

     For enquiries, please call the HA hotline on 2712 2712.

     â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (April 8) announced that a sample of a bottled fruit juice drink imported from New Zealand was found to be contaminated with a mycotoxin, patulin, at a level exceeding the action level adopted by the CFS. A follow-up is in progress.
      
     "The CFS collected the abovementioned sample at a supermarket in North Point for testing. The test result showed that the sample contained patulin at a level of 150 parts per billion (ppb), exceeding the action level of 50ppb adopted by the CFS. The level is the same as the standard of the Codex Alimentarius Commission on patulin in apple or apple juice," a CFS spokesman said.
      
     Product details are as follows:
      
Product name: 100% Raw Apple Juice with Manuka Honey, Lemon & Ginger
Country of origin: New Zealand
Manufacturer: The Homegrown Juice Company
Importer: The Dairy Farm Company Limited
Volume : 1 litre per bottle
Best-before date: June 21, 2020
      
     The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity, and the importer has stopped sale and removed from shelves the affected batch of the product and initiated a recall according to the CFS' instructions. Members of the public may call the company's hotline at 2299 1133 for enquiries about the recall during office hours. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence.
      
     "Patulin mostly occurs in rotten apple and its products. Generally speaking, apple juice with a low level of patulin will not cause acute intoxification. However, studies have shown that gastrointestinal hyperaemia, distension, haemorrhage and ulceration could be resulted if animals are exposed to high levels of patulin over a short period of time," the spokesman said.
      
     The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health. A investigation is ongoing.

     Hong Kong Customs seized about 7 400 kilograms of suspected smuggled red sandalwood with an estimated market value of about $5.5 million from two containers at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound on April 6. This is the first time Customs has detected the smuggling of wood logs concealed inside furniture.

     Through risk assessment, Customs officers selected two containers that arrived in Hong Kong from India for inspection on that day and found the batch of suspected red sandalwood concealed inside a batch of furniture including wooden cabinets and sofas.

     After follow-up investigation, Customs officers yesterday (April 7) arrested a 63-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case in Yuen Long.

     Investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending investigation.

     Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting an endangered species without a licence is liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years.

     Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

      

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 is 108.7 (up 0.1 against yesterday's index).

     Police today (April 8) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Hung Hom.
           
     Leung Wai-man, aged 55, went missing after he left his hostel on Chi Kiang Street on April 6 morning. Staff of the hostel made a report to Police yesterday (April 7).
           
     He is about 1.81 metres tall, 80 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a long face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, grey trousers, black slippers and carrying a black briefcase.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8036 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.