The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) confirmed cases, the spokesperson for Tuen Mun Hospital made the following update today (August 26):
 
     Following a contact tracing investigation, one more patient, a 73-year-old male in the surgical ward, was identified as a carrier of VRE. The patient is now being treated in isolation and is in stable condition.
 
     The hospital will continue the enhanced infection control measures and closely monitor the situation of the ward concerned. The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health for necessary follow-up.

     Hongkong Post announced today (August 26) that, as advised by the postal administration of Thailand, due to flooding, mail delivery services to Thailand for areas with the postcodes listed below are subject to delay.
 

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau will jointly present the Guangzhou Culture Week in October. The Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre Company and the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre have been invited to visit Hong Kong to perform two thriving stage productions that are based on historical events, namely "Princess Wencheng", a new Cantonese opera work, and "Awakening Lion", a grand Chinese dance drama. The two programmes demonstrate the unity and solidarity of the country's ethnic groups as well as the inheritance of national spirit that has been passed down through generations, while showcasing a new cultural look in the Guangzhou city. Tickets will be on sale starting tomorrow (August 27).

     Details of the programmes are as follows:

A New Cantonese Opera "Princess Wencheng" by Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre Company
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Date and time: October 22 and 23 (Tuesday and Wednesday) 7.30pm
Venue: Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall
Ticket prices: $180, $260, $340, $420

     The New Cantonese Opera "Princess Wencheng" is an epic opera based on the history of Princess Wencheng's marriage to the King of Ancient Tibet in the Tang dynasty. It narrates the story of Wencheng, who stays in the Ancient Tibetan Kingdom for 40 years to assist the Ancient Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo, and has become a close friend of Ancient Tibet Tang Hao, forging friendly ties between peoples of Ancient Tibet and Han. Different from the traditional melancholic image of a princess in a political marriage, the play portrays Wencheng as an intelligent, playful, courageous and responsible woman. With a cast of renowned Cantonese opera artists, such as the two-time recipient of the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award (Plum Blossom Award) Ou Kaiming (as Songtsan Gampo), Plum Blossom Award winners Li Jiayi (as Princess Wencheng), Li Junsheng (as Tang Hao) and Chen Yunhong (as Madam Li), together with resplendent stage design, lighting and costume of high Tang and Ancient Tibetan style, this production is a celebration of national unity and harmony that has lasted for a thousand years. The play was premiered in 2022, and received high acclaim.

Grand Chinese Dance Drama "Awakening Lion" by Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre
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Date and time: October 26 (Saturday) 8pm
October 27 (Sunday) 3pm
Venue: Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall
Ticket prices: $200, $260, $340, $420

     The "Awakening Lion" is the first grand Chinese dance drama on the Mainland to feature "Guangdong lion dancing", a representative item of the national intangible cultural heritage. It was named the best dance drama by the most prominent dance award on the Mainland – the China Dance Lotus Award. Setting against the backdrop of the Sanyuanli Anti-British Uprising during the Opium War a hundred years ago, the programme reflects the awakening of Chinese national identity. The story is about two teenage lion dance dancers who achieve self-awakening and growth when making various life decisions, such as the emotional dynamics and the righteous cause of the nation. The drama integrates various symbols of Lingnan culture, such as lion dance, Nanquan (Southern Fist), Choy Li Fut-style martial arts, Yingge dance (Dance of Heroes), wooden dummy and more, to create a unique dance vocabulary. By blending multimedia technology with music and costume rich in regional characteristics, the staging features both modern appeal and visual impact. Since its premiere in 2018, the dance drama has toured the Mainland for over 250 performances and has been well received by the audience.

     Tickets of the above-mentioned programmes will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from tomorrow onwards. For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Additional early bird discount will be offered from tomorrow until September 26 for purchasing the above-mentioned programmes through any of the discount scheme.

     During the Guangzhou Culture Week period, various extension activities, including sharing sessions, a workshop and a backstage tour, will be held to facilitate exchanges and sharing between culture lovers from Guangzhou and Hong Kong. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes of "Princess Wencheng", please call 2268 7325 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/chinese_opera/programs_1770.html; for programme enquiries and concessionary schemes of "Awakening Lion", please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/programs_1768.html. The above-mentioned programmes are also part of the Fourth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival.

        

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesman for Queen Mary Hospital made the following update today (August 26) regarding a patient leaving the hospital without notification earlier:
 
     The 79-year-old female patient who left the Accident and Emergency Department of the hospital without notification yesterday (August 25) has been located this morning and was sent to Ruttonjee Hospital for medical care, who is in stable condition.
 

     The Transport Department (TD) today (August 26) said that major public transport operators (PTOs) have been reminded to provide adequate services, and enhance service frequency and deploy standby services when necessary to cater for passengers' demand on the first school day (September 2).
 
     The TD has sought information from the Education Bureau on the locations of new schools and students commuting to schools across districts, thereby reviewing the neighbouring traffic and transport arrangements. Special routes serving school areas will be resumed. Meanwhile, local franchised bus operators providing services to and from land boundary control points (BCPs) and cross-boundary coach operators have been reminded to provide adequate services for cross-boundary students. The TD has also requested relevant departments to review road works being or to be carried out on major roads to minimise the traffic impact at the commencement of the school term.

     "The operation of the TD's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre (ETCC) will be escalated to the highest tier, the Joint Steering Mode, on the morning of September 2 to jointly and closely monitor the real-time traffic and public transport services on the first school day in collaboration with the Police and PTOs. Staff will be deployed at major public transport interchanges and school areas across the territory for on-site monitoring, including school areas such as Kowloon Tong, Po Kong Village Road in Wong Tai Sin, Kwai Shing Circuit in Kwai Chung and Braemar Hill in North Point, land BCPs and tunnels. They will report the latest situation to the ETCC for service enhancement and implementation of traffic management measures accordingly where necessary, such as adjustment to on-street traffic signals timing and liaison with the Police for assistance in traffic dispersion," a spokesman for the TD said.

     Students should familiarise themselves early with public transport routes to and from their schools and the service frequencies, especially those attending a new school soon, the spokesman added. The TD anticipated that the overall road traffic on that day will be busier, and students should allow more time and pay attention to the latest traffic news. They should also take heed of road safety on their journeys, properly use crossing facilities to cross the roads, and not eat, drink, play mobile games, use a mobile phone, or listen to any audio device etc when crossing the roads.

     Motorists are advised to avoid driving to school areas. Nanny van operators should obtain the TD's prior approval for each school to be served. Drivers of nanny vans and school buses should heighten their vigilance and drive carefully, particularly on steep roads or narrow lanes, or when turning and reversing. Speeding or overloading is prohibited. An escort should be provided on board when serving kindergarten or primary school students. Escorts should assist students to wear seat belts and ensure that they and all students have properly fastened their seat belts, if provided, before the nanny vans and school buses depart. Students should never be left unattended in the vehicles. Parents should agree in advance with schools and operators of nanny vans or school buses on the locations of picking up and dropping off their children.

     The ETCC will disseminate the latest information on traffic news of various districts to the public as appropriate. Members of the public are advised to pay attention to the media broadcast or the TD's mobile application "HKeMobility" or website (www.td.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call the TD's hotline on 2804 2600 or 1823. Details of the operators' service are also available on their hotlines and websites: