Police today (February 4) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Mong Kok.

     Yang Wai-wah, aged 57, went missing after she left her residence on Larch Street on January 23 noon. Her family made a report to Police on February 2.

     She is about 1.5 metres tall, 45 kilograms in weight and of thin build. She has a pointed face with yellow complexion and long greyish white hair. She was last seen wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, a grey jacket, a white T-shirt, black trousers and orange slippers.

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

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (February 4) investigating a suspected outbreak of food poisoning at a secondary school in Yuen Long and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent food-borne diseases.     

     The outbreak involved 15 males and 16 females aged 4 to 56 who developed abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhoea about two to 20 hours after consuming food provided by a caterer on February 1 afternoon. Four of them sought medical attention but none required hospitalisation. All affected persons are in a stable condition.

     "We have alerted the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) to the incident and investigations are ongoing," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Meanwhile, the CHP reported an update on its investigation announced on February 1 into an outbreak of suspected food poisoning at an institution in Southern District. 40 additional affected persons were identified, including 25 males and 15 females aged 18 to 28 who developed abdominal pain and diarrhoea about 15 to 25 hours after having lunch at the institution on January 29. All of the affected persons did not seek medical attention and have been in a stable condition. This brings the total number of persons affected to 65.

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

• Choose reliable catering supplier;
• Arrange food to be delivered at appropriate timing and consume the food immediately;
• Keep cold dishes at four degrees Celsius or below and hot-served foods above 60 degrees Celsius;
• Food should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours;
• 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.

     Police today (February 4) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Tuen Mun.

     Yeung Man-ho, aged 33, went missing after he left his residence on Shek Pai Tau Path on February 1 afternoon. His family made a report to Police on the next day.

     He is about 1.65 metres tall, 61 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a square face with yellow complexion and short straight black hair. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, white short-sleeved shirt, green trousers and green sports 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 3115 or 6273 5787, or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     As part of its continuing efforts to reach out to Italian entrepreneurs and promote Hong Kong as the gateway to Mainland China and the best place to tap business opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) held a business seminar in Pulsano, Italy, on February 1 in co-operation with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Invest Hong Kong. This was the second business seminar in Italy that HKETO, Brussels took part in this year, after a seminar it co-hosted in Milan on January 17.
 
     The Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels, Miss Fiona Chau, told Italian entrepreneurs that Hong Kong's business-friendly environment has been widely recognised, with various international research organisations naming Hong Kong as the second most competitive economy, the world's third financial centre, the fourth easiest place to do business and the fifth safest city in the world. In addition, the Heritage Foundation has just named Hong Kong as the world's freest economy for 25 years in a row.
 
     Miss Chau added that under the "one country, two systems" principle, which has been successfully implemented for over 21 years, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy in conducting its external trade relations. Hong Kong respects and upholds the rule of law, and the common law system practised by Hong Kong, underpinned by an independent judiciary, gives entrepreneurs peace of mind whether in getting started, raising capital, mergers and acquisitions or resolving disputes. These fundamental strengths make Hong Kong the place to be for Italian companies seeking to expand in Mainland China and other parts of Asia, she said.
 
     During her visit to Pulsano, Miss Chau also met with the Mayor of Pulsano, representatives of business federations and companies, and academics.

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (February 4) reported a suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit. The case is detailed below:
 

     "Travellers to the Middle East should avoid going to farms, barns or markets with camels; avoid contact with sick persons and animals, especially camels, birds or poultry; and avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities. We strongly advise travel agents organising tours to the Middle East to abstain from arranging camel rides and activities involving direct contact with camels, which are known risk factors for acquiring MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Locally, the CHP's surveillance with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Inbound travellers and members of the public who recently visited the Middle East and developed fever or lower respiratory symptoms within 14 days will be classified as suspected MERS cases. They will be taken to public hospitals for isolation and management until their specimens test negative for MERS-CoV.

     Travellers to affected areas should maintain vigilance, adopt appropriate health precautions and take heed of personal, food and environmental hygiene. The public may visit the MERS pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, MERS statistics in affected areas, the CHP's Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the World Health Organization's latest news for more information and health advice. Tour leaders and tour guides operating overseas tours are advised to refer to the CHP's health advice on MERS.