The Government exercises the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and publishes relevant specifications in the Gazette to continue to empower a registered … read more
The Government exercises the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and publishes relevant specifications in the Gazette to continue to empower a registered … read more
The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) today (April 29) published a notice in a gazette to invite tenders for the contract for Site Formation and Infrastructure Works at Area 48, Fanling (Contract No. CV/2022/08). The closing time for the tender is noon on June 24.
The works mainly include:
• site formation works of about 4.2 hectares at Area 48, Fanling;
• construction of a carriageway connecting to the proposed re-aligned Tai Wo Service Road West; and
• ancillary works including drainage, sewerage, waterworks and landscaping works.
The works are scheduled to commence in September this year and will take about 48 months to complete.
CEDD has commissioned Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited to design and supervise the works. Interested contractors may obtain the forms of tender and further particulars from the company at Level 5, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon.
Details of the tender notice are available at CEDD’s website (www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/tender-notices/contracts/tender-notices/index.html). For enquiries, please call Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited at 2268 3560 during office hours. read more
A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (April 29) that the FEHD has been adopting a multi-pronged approach to strengthen the effectiveness of anti-rodent work in the districts. The first round of an eight-week anti-rodent operation in designated target areas in various districts will be launched next Monday (May 2) to raise public awareness of rodent prevention and control.
Taking into account factors including rodent infestation rates, the number of rodent complaints received, views of the local community, the number of food premises and “three-nil” buildings, each District Environmental Hygiene Office (DEHO) of the FEHD will identify target areas in each district and carry out targeted rodent prevention and control work by improving environmental hygiene and stepping up rodent disinfestation and enforcement actions.
In order to further enhance the effectiveness of rodent prevention and control work at the district level, the FEHD will make use of thermal cameras in all designated target areas across the territory to detect rodent activities and dispersal routes. Visual data collected at different time stages of the operations will be analysed to devise more targeted rodent prevention and control strategy. The FEHD will keep abreast of information about new products in the market, and remain open-minded. The FEHD will consider introducing new technologies and equipment, if suitable, to enhance the effectiveness of rodent control work.
At survey locations with a high rodent infestation rate, apart from monitoring rodent activities by thermal cameras, the DEHO concerned will also step up street cleaning and refuse collection services to improve environmental hygiene. The DEHO convened an inter-departmental district anti-rodent task force meeting with relevant government departments, representatives from organisations and housing estates concerned, among others, asking them to adopt targeted rodent prevention and control strategies. The DEHO also issued letters to owners’ corporations and the property management companies to provide information and technical advice on rodent prevention and control.
For some high-risk food premises and cooked food markets, the FEHD conducted inspections and stepped up public education and publicity to persons-in-charge and staff of food premises as well as stall tenants of cooked food markets and advised them on rodent prevention and control. Cleaning work, rodent prevention and control was enhanced at the cooked food markets.
In response to recent reports, the spokesman emphasised that the mere dividing of the overall expenditure on pest control work by the number of rodents trapped cannot fully and truly reflect the outcome and effectiveness of the FEHD’s rodent control work. In fact, in addition to trapping and poisoning, rodent control work also includes routine inspecting rodent black spots, taking enforcement actions, conducting joint inspections, providing technical support for various departments/organisations, carrying out publicity and education work as well as following up rodent complaints.
The FEHD has been closely monitoring the performance of pest control services contractor staff. The pest control services contract requires contractor staff to meet specific qualifications and have completed recognised training courses on pest control. Supervisors are also required to have experience in the prevention and control of mosquitoes, rodents or other pests. The FEHD has a stringent contract management system, and conducts regular and surprise inspections. If a contractor’s performance is found to be unsatisfactory during on-site inspections, the FEHD will take action in accordance with the current sanction mechanism.
In view of the fruitful results of the previous anti-rodent operations in designated target areas, the FEHD will again conduct two rounds of the operation this year. Having regard to significant improvements in filling of rat holes, dead rodents collection and poisonous bait placement, etc., in the three districts under the enhanced version of the operations during the last round, the FEHD will, during the first round of the operation to be commenced next Monday, conduct an enhanced version of the anti-rodent operations in designated target areas in Central/Western, Southern, Tsuen Wan, Tai Po, Wong Tai Sin and Kowloon City Districts to expand the scope of rodent control, so as to cover more rodent blackspots, including those in public markets and municipal services buildings, hawker bazaars, and rear lanes adjacent to food premises, and to conduct large-scale and targeted anti-rodent operations.
FEHD staff will enhance street cleaning services and cleaning of public markets and hawker bazaars in the target areas, including sweeping and cleaning of streets and rear lanes, emptying and cleaning of litter containers, and clearance of miscellaneous articles and waste in public markets and hawker bazaars. They will also place poisonous baits and traps, treating rat holes and implementing rodent-proofing measures at problematic spots such as rear lanes, refuse collection points, markets, hawker bazaars, cooked food markets and peripheral areas of construction sites.
The spokesperson said, “We will step up inspections of food premises. Enforcement actions against food premises causing poor environmental hygiene conditions, scullery and food preparation at rear lanes, and improper handling and disposal of rubbish will be strengthened. The FEHD will also adopt a zero-tolerance approach and take stringent enforcement actions against common public cleanliness offences.”
The FEHD will also reinforce public education and publicity on rodent prevention and control. Apart from the broadcast of publicity videos and display of posters, the FEHD will collaborate with District Councils and District Offices of the Home Affairs Department to organise anti-rodent promotional activities. The department will also arrange health talks for building management offices of private buildings, persons-in-charge of food premises, and market and hawker stall operators to provide information and technical advice on rodent prevention and control.
The spokesman appealed to the community for active participation in the anti-rodent activities as well as joint efforts to eliminate the three fundamental survival conditions of rodents, namely food, harbourage and passages, i.e. the elimination of the food sources and hiding places of rodents as well as blockage of their dispersal routes, so as to combat the rodent problem. read more
The Government yesterday (April 28) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration” effective from 4pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Tai Hang (i.e. Lai Kit Lau, Lai Tak Tsuen, Tai Hang) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the “restricted area” had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. All persons in the “restricted area” who have tested positive in the past three months, including positive cases identified either by nucleic acid tests recorded by the Department of Health (DH) or by rapid antigen tests that have been self-declared to the DH, were not required to undergo testing in this compulsory testing exercise.
In addition, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons, other than those specified above, who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from April 22 to April 28, 2022, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before April 30, 2022.
The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 10am today (April 29) and carried out enforcement action in the “restricted area” afterwards to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 11am today.
The Government provided food packs for persons subject to compulsory testing to facilitate their meal arrangements. Anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines donated by the Central Government and rapid antigen test kits were also distributed to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus. The Lands Department set up a hotline for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance.
The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone’s co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 10am today, the Government took enforcement action in the “restricted area” immediately to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative testing result as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the “restricted area” through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 11am. Test records of 63 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody was found to have not undergone compulsory testing. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the “restriction-testing declaration” in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment).
The Government reminds the 75 households who have not answered the door to contact the Government for arrangement of testing as soon as possible after reading the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community.
The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home.
The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the “restriction-testing declaration” by persons subject to compulsory testing. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be liable to a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the order or the “restriction-testing declaration” is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more