The Home Affairs Department will open 19 temporary night heat shelters tonight (August 15) for people in need of the service.

     The shelters will be open from 10.30pm until 8am tomorrow.

     For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.

     The 19 night heat shelters are located at:

Hong Kong Districts:
———————

Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex,
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay

Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau

Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai

Kowloon Districts:
——————

Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom

Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan

Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

New Territories Districts:
————————–

Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building,
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung

Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung

North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling

Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O

Sha Tin –
Hin Keng Neighbourhood Community Centre
5 Hin Wo Lane, Sha Tin

Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po

Tsuen Wan –
Shek Wai Kok Community Hall
Shek Wai Kok Estate, Tsuen Wan

Tuen Mun –
Wu Shan Road Community Hall
101 Wu Shan Road, Tuen Mun

Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long

Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Film Development Council:
 
     The Government has introduced five major measures under the Film Development Fund (FDF) earlier to help the trade tide over this difficult period and re-energise Hong Kong's film industry. Among these measures, the Scriptwriting Incubation Programme (SIP) is open for application from today (August 15) until October 14. Scriptwriters and would-be scriptwriters who are interested in the profession are encouraged to participate.
 
     With total funding of $8 million, the SIP aims at identifying and nurturing local scriptwriting talent to help incubate quality scripts, thereby enhancing the quality of Hong Kong productions.
 
     "A good script is indispensable to a successful film production, while a good film is essentially a good story told in a compelling manner. I look forward to seeing an abundance of quality original scripts incubated under the Programme, helping our local film industry to scale new heights," the Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Dr Wilfred Wong, said.
 
     The SIP will be held in the form of a competition with multiple rounds. Funding will be disbursed to the respective winners of different phases:
 
Phase 1: Interested parties should submit applications together with the synopsis and logline on or before October 14. A maximum of 50 submissions will be shortlisted, and each of them will be awarded a prize of $30,000 and will enter the next phase of the competition;
 
Phase 2: Shortlisted candidates should submit the treatment. Up to 25 submissions will be shortlisted at this stage, and each of them will be awarded a prize of $80,000 and will enter the next phase of the competition; and
 
Phase 3: Shortlisted candidates should submit a full script at this stage. A maximum of 10 final winning scripts will be selected and the winning parties will be invited to attend a presentation forum to meet with potential investors to increase the chance of obtaining market investment in adopting their scripts for commercial film productions. The final winning scripts will each be awarded a prize of $300,000. Cumulatively, a final winning script will be awarded a total amount of $410,000.  
 
     During the competition process, seminars and workshops will be arranged with experienced scriptwriters sharing techniques of writing treatments and scripts. There will also be dedicated one-on-one coaching to assist applicants in perfecting their scripts.
 
     The application details of the SIP are available at the FDC's website (www.fdc.gov.hk).
 
     The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau announced on July 13 that the Government would earmark around $260 million under the FDF to implement five major measures to increase the number of local film productions, nurture young directors and scriptwriting talents and enhance professional training. The remaining four major measures are the Directors' Succession Scheme, relaxation of the Film Production Financing Scheme, short-term advanced training programmes, and implementation of the enhanced First Feature Film Initiative.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (August 15) said as the epidemic situation remains severe, to safeguard the health and safety of market stall tenants and the public, the FEHD will continue to progressively arrange deep cleaning and disinfection for public markets as a precautionary measure.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "With the full support of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), body temperature checking system has been installed in 30 markets with high patronage rate. To further enhance the anti-epidemic measures, we will progressively install body temperature checking system in other markets with high patronage rate and has arranged for checking of body temperature of market patrons by FEHD staff using hand-held thermometers in some markets."

     The spokesman said, "The FEHD is also liaising with the EMSD to improve the air ventilation in some markets, and standalone air coolers will be placed in some of the markets in regard to circumstances on the ground. 

     "In addition, to enhance the effectiveness of epidemic prevention, the FEHD has progressively installed automatic dispensers in toilets in markets, and sensor-type toilet seat sanitisers in toilet cubicles. Starting from end August, anti-microbial coating will be applied to the communal areas and facilities of more than 40 markets with high patronage rate in phases."

     To further enhance the cleaning and disinfection work in its markets, following the previous arrangement for some 40 markets to close an hour earlier for additional deep cleaning and disinfection in the past few weeks, the FEHD will arrange for the following 12 public markets on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories to be closed an hour earlier at 7pm for deep cleaning and disinfection in the coming few days as a precautionary measure:

August 16 (Sunday)
Tang Lung Chau Market
North Point Market
Lei Yue Mun Market
North Kwai Chung Market

August 17 (Monday)
Aldrich Bay Market
Mui Wo Market
Yee On Street Market
Sai Kung Market

August 18 (Tuesday)
Quarry Bay Market
Peng Chau Market
Tung Chau Street Temporary Market
Hung Shui Kiu Temporary Market

     During the period, the FEHD staff will thoroughly clean and disinfect communal areas and facilities in the markets, and call for co-operation of market tenants to conduct cleaning and disinfection at their respective stalls, with a view to improving the overall hygiene condition of the markets. In addition, the FEHD will carry out deep cleaning work on the periphery of the markets and nearby streets. The cleaning and disinfection work is expected to last about four hours.

     The spokesman said that the FEHD has attached importance to the hygienic condition of public markets. In addition to regular cleaning work in the daytime, market service contractors also conduct thorough cleaning in all markets after the markets are closed every day. During the epidemic, the FEHD has already stepped up cleaning and disinfection of communal areas and facilities in the markets, including toilets, escalators, elevators and stair handrails, with diluted household bleach regularly every day. Disinfectant hand sanitisers are also placed at market areas for public use.

     The department has also enhanced anti-rodent measures in some markets, including conducting a three-month intensive anti-rodent operation, during which market staff will thoroughly clear the refuse and clean the passageways and drains in the markets every night after the markets are closed so as to eliminate the food sources of rodents. Plentiful traps are also placed in market areas extensively in the small hours in order to strengthen rodent control.

     In addition, the FEHD earlier issued advisory letters to its market tenants reminding them and their staff to wear face masks in markets and perform hand hygiene frequently, and has subsequently distributed face masks and disinfectant hand sanitisers to market tenants. Disinfectant hand sanitisers are also placed at communal parts such as vicinities of lift lobbies, escalators and public scales for use by market patrons so as to safeguard the health and safety of tenants and the public.

     The FEHD will closely monitor the situation of its markets and conduct enhanced cleaning and disinfection work as a precautionary measure when necessary so as to maintain environmental hygiene and safeguard the health and safety of tenants and the public.

     The Labour Department (LD) will hold the Opening Up a New Terrain Online Job Fair from August 18 to 6pm on August 19 on the department's Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk) for job seekers to obtain vacancy information and submit job applications.
      
     A total of 34 organisations, mainly from the property management, business services and catering industries, will participate, offering over 1 200 vacancies. Most of them are suitable for application by young graduates.
      
     The vacancies offered cover a wide variety of positions, including chemist trainee, recreation assistant, customer services officer, accounting clerk, clinic assistant, administrative assistant, baker, technician and engineer.
      
     Around 83 per cent of the vacancies are full-time jobs, mostly offering monthly salaries ranging from $10,000 to $21,000. Around 92 per cent require a Secondary Six education level or below. Around 79 per cent are open to job seekers without relevant experience, and are suitable for young graduates. 
      
     Job seekers need to pre-register as users of the LD's Interactive Employment Service before submitting online job applications to the participating organisations during the job fair. All of the services are free of charge. More information can be found on the department's Interactive Employment Service website.

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Sha Tin last night (August 14) in which a 33-year-old man died.

     At about 11.50pm, a motorcycle driven by the 33-year-old man was travelling along southbound Sui Wo Road. When approaching near 33 Sui Wo Road, it reportedly lost control and rammed into barriers.

     Sustaining serious head injuries, the motorcyclist was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 0.39am today (August 15).

     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories South is underway.

     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 1300 or 3661 1446.