Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (December 21) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     The Social Welfare Department has been informed by Stewards that the territory-wide flag-selling activity in public places scheduled to be held today (December 21) has been cancelled, a spokesman for the SWD said.
 
      For enquiries, please contact Mr Leung of the organisation at 2790 1511.

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Tin Sum in the small hours today (December 21) in which a 24-year-old man died.

     At about 0.18am, a private car driven by the 24-year-old man was travelling along Tai Po Road – Sha Tin Heights towards Sha Tin. When approaching Luk Hop Village, it reportedly dashed to the opposite lane and collided with a private car driven by a 55-year-old man.

     The 24-year-old man was trapped inside the compartment and was rescued by firemen. Sustaining serious head injury, he was rushed to Caritas Medical Centre in unconscious state and was certified dead at 0.46am. The 55-year-old man was injured and sent to Prince of Wales Hospital in conscious state.

     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 1348.

     In response to media enquiries today (December 20) about the arrangement of enquiry letters to electors issued by the Registration and Electoral Office (REO), a spokesman for the REO gives the following reply:

     The 2020 Voter Registration (VR) cycle will last until May 2, 2020. With a view to ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the final register, the REO has issued about 70,000 enquiry letters since December 13, 2019. The enquiry letters are issued on the basis of random sampling check.

     The REO appeals to the registered electors who have received enquiry letters to submit replies as soon as possible by the specified deadline, in order to confirm that the address concerned is their principal residential address.  In case the concerned electors do not reply by the deadline, the REO will proceed to the next step by March 2020 to include the concerned electors in the statutory inquiry. Electors who are in the statutory inquiry must reply to the REO by the statutory deadline on May 2, 2020, otherwise, they will be included in the omissions list to be published on June 1, 2020.  Electors included in the omissions list can still reply to the REO or lodge a claim before the statutory deadline on June 25, 2020, with a view to reinstate their elector status and to vote in the 2020 LegCo General Election.  

     The REO conducts various checking measures in each VR cycle to enhance the accuracy and completeness of the particulars of VR, including the above-mentioned random sampling check on registered electors; cross-matching exercise with other government departments on the registered particulars of electors; follow-up inquiries on undelivered poll cards arising from elections; cross-matching of registered residential addresses of electors with the Housing Department, Hong Kong Housing Society and Home Affairs Department; checks on residential addresses with multiple electors or multiple surnames of electors; checks on addresses with incomplete information or suspected non-residential addresses; as well as checks on electors registered at buildings already demolished or vacant buildings to be demolished.

     The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about the work accident that happened in a private estate in Sai Ying Pun this afternoon (December 20), in which a female worker fell from a planter to the ground while performing plant pruning work, who was certified dead upon arrival in hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker in the accident and expresses its deepest sympathy to the victim's family.
 
     The LD's spokesman said, "We commenced immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident. We issued suspension notices to the contractor concerned and the property management company of the estate to suspend all work on the planters. They cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken."
 
     The spokesman added, "We will complete investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."
 
     The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for six months.
 
    In regard to today’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers' unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent recurrence of similar accidents.
 
     The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees' compensation under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees' compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.
 
     For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.