â€‹A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (August 28) said that the FEHD will continue to step up enforcement actions against the unauthorised display of easy-mount frames and other display fittings for business promotion in public places, and will prosecute the beneficiaries of such commercial publicity materials. Two telecommunications companies were fined $20,000 and $10,000 at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts on August 27 for unauthorised display of commercial publicity materials.
 
     The spokesman said the FEHD has all along been concerned about the illegal activity of displaying commercial publicity materials on busy streets. FEHD officers stepped up enforcement actions in the vicinity of Fuk Wah Street, Sham Shui Po, in February this year, and removed a total of eight posters and their stands. Upon further investigation, the department separately issued two summonses and one summons to two beneficiaries, i.e. the two telecommunications companies, for the unauthorised display of commercial publicity materials on government land. The two companies were convicted yesterday and fined a total of $20,000 and $10,000, with the maximum fine of $10,000 imposed for each offence.
 
     Under Section 104A(1) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), any person displaying or affixing a bill or poster on government land without permission commits an offence, and is liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $10,000 and a daily fine of $300 upon conviction. FEHD officers can also remove the commercial publicity materials and the display fittings and recover the removal costs from the persons concerned pursuant to the relevant legislation.
　　
     The spokesman reminds street promoters and related commercial organisations to refrain from displaying commercial publicity materials illegally. The department will continue to carry out enforcement actions to curb such illegal activities and improve the communal environment.

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Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
 
     The Civil Engineering and Development Department today (August 28) announced that as the Standby Signal No. 1 has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Chai Wan Public Fill Barging Point will be closed at 4.40pm today until further notice.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has recorded a gradual increase in pollution levels since this morning (August 28). According to the EPD's forecast, it is expected that the AQHI at some general air quality monitoring stations may reach the "Serious" level later today.

     Under the influence of Tropical Cyclone Podul, the weather in Hong Kong today is mainly fine and very hot with haze. Higher than normal levels of ozone and particulates have been recorded in the territory since noon. The sunshine enhances photochemical smog activity and the rapid formation of ozone and fine particulates in the Pearl River Delta region. The high level of ozone has also promoted the formation of nitrogen dioxide.

     According to the Hong Kong Observatory, Tropical Cyclone Podul will move across the central part of the South China Sea today, and towards the vicinity of Hainan Island tomorrow. It is expected that pollution levels will be improved by then.

     With a health risk category in the "Very High" range or above, children, the elderly and persons with existing heart or respiratory illnesses are advised to reduce physical exertion and outdoor activities to a minimum or avoid such activities. The general public is advised to reduce, or reduce to a minimum, outdoor physical exertion, and to reduce time staying outdoors, especially in areas with heavy traffic. As health effects of air pollutants may vary for individuals, persons who are in doubt or experience discomfort should seek advice from health-care professionals. The public may visit the Centre for Health Protection's website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/content/9/460/3557.html) for more information on health effects of air pollution and relevant health advice.

     The Education Bureau (EDB) urges all schools to visit the EDB's website for appropriate measures to safeguard students' health and take note of changes in the index. The relevant hyperlink is as follows:
www.edb.gov.hk/en/sch-admin/admin/about-activities/sch-activities-guidelines/index.html.

     When the AQHI is at the "Very High" level, employers of outdoor workers performing heavy manual work are advised to assess the risk of outdoor work and take appropriate preventive measures to protect the health of their employees, such as reducing outdoor physical exertion and the time of their stay outdoors, especially in areas with heavy traffic. At the "Serious" level, employers of all outdoor workers are advised to assess the risk of outdoor work and take appropriate preventive measures to protect the health of their employees.

     Members of the public can check the current AQHI readings at the EPD's website (www.aqhi.gov.hk/en.html) or by calling the hotline 2827 8541.

     The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) is currently actively preparing for the establishment of District Health Centres (DHCs) in Sham Shui Po and Wong Tai Sin Districts. Residents of the districts as well as other members of the public are now invited to give their valuable views at two public consultation sessions in late September.
 
     The DHCs aim at encouraging the public to develop a healthy lifestyle, preventing diseases, identifying health issues at an early stage, managing chronic diseases, and improving self-care ability through community rehabilitation programmes. With services focused on primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, the DHCs emphasise district-based medical-social collaboration and public-private partnership.
 
     Details of the consultation sessions are as follows:
 
Public consultation session on DHC in Wong Tai Sin
Date: September 20 (Friday)
Time: 7pm to 8.30pm
Venue: Wong Tai Sin Community Centre, 104 Ching Tak Street, Wong Tai Sin
 
Public consultation session on DHC in Sham Shui Po
Date: September 28 (Saturday)
Time: 10.30am to noon
Venue: CCC Heep Woh Primary School (Cheung Sha Wan), 18 Tonkin Street, Cheung Sha Wan
 
     The consultation sessions will be conducted in Cantonese. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. People who would like to attend the consultation sessions should complete the reply slip at the FHB's website (www.fhb.gov.hk/en/press_and_publications/consultation/190900_dhc) and return the slip to the Primary Healthcare Office by email (pho@fhb.gov.hk) or fax (2556 2638). Participants may also call 2205 2491 for seat reservation or enquiries. Walk-in registration will be accepted when there are vacant seats on the spot.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (August 28) announced the results of a seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes (second phase). The results of about 160 samples tested were all satisfactory.
     
     A spokesman for the CFS said that the first-phase test results on mooncakes were released on August 13. In the second-phase surveillance, the CFS continued to collect samples covering traditional, snowy, ice-cream and other types of mooncakes from various retailers (including online retailers) and food factories for chemical and microbiological tests, and nutrition content analysis.
 
     Chemical tests covered preservatives such as sulphur dioxide and sorbic acid, antioxidants and mineral oil. Microbiological tests covered pathogens such as Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella and coagulase-positive staphylococci organisms. For nutrition content analyses (covering the contents of energy, protein, total fat, saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, carbohydrates, sodium and sugars), the samples were tested to see if they complied with the food labelling requirements.
 
      The spokesman reminded people to maintain a balanced diet and avoid excessive eating of mooncakes as they are generally high in sugar and fat. Some types also contain relatively high levels of salt. Eating too much fat will increase the risk of being overweight and obese while dietary sugar intake is a determinant of body weight and dental caries. In addition, excessive sodium intake will increase the risk of developing hypertension, fatal stroke and coronary heart disease.
 
     He advised people to refer to nutrition labels, particularly on the sugar, salt and fat contents, to make a healthier choice. People should avoid mooncake types with high levels of fat or sugar, i.e. containing more than 20 grams of total fat or more than 15g of sugar per 100g of food. As for reducing salt intake, people can choose low-sodium mooncake types, i.e. containing less than 120 milligrams of sodium per 100g of food.
 
     He said that people should consider their health conditions and consume mooncakes in an appropriate amount during the Mid-Autumn Festival. He advised people to share mooncakes with their family members and friends, as this not only enhances the festive atmosphere, but also allows them to taste mooncakes of different flavours and avoid overconsumption.
 
     Members of the public should heed the following points in the purchase, storage and consumption of mooncakes to prevent food-borne diseases:
 
* Buy mooncakes from reliable outlets rather than patronising unlicensed hawkers. Check whether the mooncakes are properly packaged, pay attention to the expiry dates before purchase and eat them before the expiry dates;
 
* Store mooncakes according to the instructions on the package if they are not to be consumed immediately. Keep snowy mooncakes at 4 degrees Celsius or below and ice-cream mooncakes at minus 18 degrees C or below, and consume them as soon as possible after taking them out from the refrigerator;
 
* Use an icebox to carry snowy or ice-cream mooncakes outdoors and consume them as soon as possible;
 
* Wrap mooncakes properly and separate them from raw food when storing in a refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination; and
 
* Maintain good personal hygiene. Wash hands properly with liquid soap and running water before handling and consuming mooncakes.
 
     The spokesman also reminded food traders to adhere to the Good Manufacturing Practice. Other than purchasing food ingredients from reliable suppliers, they should also comply with legal requirements when using food additives.
 
     "Snowy and ice-cream mooncakes, which do not undergo a baking process at high temperature, need to be handled hygienically during processing, transportation and storage to avoid contamination and growth of germs," he said.