The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 23) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the Legnicki District of Dolnoslaskie in Poland, 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 Hong Kong imported about 13 060 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 23.2 million poultry eggs from Poland in the first nine months of last year, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

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

     To encourage the recovery and recycling of yard waste in the community, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (January 23) called on members of the public and commercial and industrial (C&I) organisations to recycle peach blossom trees (PBTs) intended for disposal after the Chinese New Year under the PBTs recycling programme. An EPD contractor will recycle suitable collected PBTs into useful materials such as mulch for planting purposes and compost to encourage onward recycling. The programme arrangements are as follows:
    

• Collection Period: February 1 to 8.

• Collection Points: A central collection point (CCP) in the EcoPark, Tuen Mun and 43 district collection points (including 37 refuse collection points and six Outlying Islands Transfer Facilities). Please refer to the Annex for the locations and opening hours of the collection points. If members of the public and C&I organisations need to recycle PBTs from February 9 to 15, appointments should be made with the EPD's contractor (Tel: 9706 6549) prior to the delivery of PBTs to the CCP in the EcoPark.

 
     An EPD spokesman said that the programme is limited to the recycling of PBTs. All decorations, including fai-chun and tape on the PBTs, should be removed before delivery to the collection points to facilitate subsequent recycling processes. Members of the public are also encouraged to replant other small potted plants such as tangerine trees and reuse festival decorations to help reduce waste and conserve resources.
 
     An e-certificate will be issued to members of the public and organisations delivering PBTs to the CCP for recycling to recognise their support for environmental conservation. For details of the programme, please visit the Hong Kong Waste Reduction Website at www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/2020-peach-blossom-trees-recycling-programme.html.
 
     The EPD also welcomes other organisations and associations to provide PBT recycling services for the public and C&I organisations to help enhance waste reduction efforts for all.

     The "Hong Kong Guide" 2020 edition produced by the Lands Department (LandsD) went on sale today (January 23). The new "e-HongKongGuide", an electronic map book, is also available online.
      
     The new 432-page "Hong Kong Guide" provides detailed maps of Hong Kong with indexes for streets, places and villages, estates and buildings, schools, public services and leisure and cultural facilities, as well as information on public transportation. The streets and places and villages indexes can serve as gazetteers for names of streets and geographical places in Hong Kong.
      
     With the theme "Milestones in Survey and Mapping", the "Hong Kong Guide" 2020 reviews the development of survey and mapping technologies and map products in Hong Kong over the past half-century, and showcases the upcoming survey and mapping services.
      
     A spokesman for the LandsD said, "The Survey and Mapping Office (SMO) of the LandsD not only provides professional and reliable services on land survey and map production, but is also committed to introducing state-of-the-art survey and mapping technologies and providing services to cater for the public's needs. The feature section of the 'Hong Kong Guide' this year displays the 3D visualisation map, which will be available at the Hong Kong GeoData Store later this year."
      
     The spokesman added that the Hong Kong Smart City Blueprint announced by the Government in 2017 has specified the target of introducing different types of 3D digital maps and 3D pedestrian networks by 2023. The SMO of the LandsD is working towards this goal, making efforts in developing the related technologies and designing brand new map products.
      
     The 2020 edition of the "e-HongKongGuide", an electronic version of the "Hong Kong Guide", is available for browsing and free download at the LandsD's website (www.landsd.gov.hk/mapping/en/download/ehkg.htm).
      
     A collection of maps in GeoPDF format, the "e-HongKongGuide" can be read by different applications on desktop computers and mobile devices in an offline mode. By using free tools available on the web, users can read co-ordinates, track positions using a GPS device, search co-ordinates, search text and information, add personalised images and information, and share with friends.
      
     The "Hong Kong Guide" 2020 edition, priced at $89, is available at all LandsD SMO sales outlets, the General Post Office, Kowloon Central Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Mong Kok Post Office, Kwun Tong Post Office, Tuen Mun Central Post Office, designated local bookstores and the SMO's online map shop (www.hkmapservice.gov.hk). Information on the SMO's sales outlets is available at www.landsd.gov.hk/mapping/en/pro&ser/outlet.htm. For enquiries, call 2231 3187.

        

     The Labour Department (LD) uploaded today (January 23) to its homepage (www.labour.gov.hk) the conviction records on failure to pay wages or sums awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board (MECAB) under the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) (EO) for public viewing. The publication of these conviction records is to raise the awareness of employers, employees and the community at large on timely payment of wages or sums awarded by the LT or the MECAB. 
      
     A spokesman for LD said, "The LD's homepage will list the conviction records of employers since October 2019 in respect of their contraventions of relevant provisions relating to payment of wages or sums awarded by the LT or the MECAB under the EO, including the names of the convicted companies, offence sections, brief descriptions of offences, dates of sentence and the penalties. In accordance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486), the names of the convicted persons will not be published."
      
     The spokesman added, "The new arrangement will help enhance the understanding of employers and the general public of the criminal liability of non-compliance with EO. The LD will update the information on a quarterly basis. The conviction records will be published for 24 months."

     Firing practice will take place at two military sites, namely the San Wai/Tai Ling Firing Range and the Tsing Shan Firing Range, next month (February).
 
     Red flags or red lamps will be hoisted at the firing areas before and during firing practice. For their safety, people are advised not to enter the firing area.
 
     Following are the dates and times for the firing practice sessions in February 2020:
 
San Wai/Tai Ling Firing Range
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Tsing Shan Firing Range
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