â€‹The Ombudsman today (April 28) released its Direct Investigation Report on "Management and effectiveness of waste separation bins". The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) welcomes the Ombudsman's recognition of its effort in various aspects after taking over the management of recycling bins in public places since October 1, 2020. The EPD agrees with the six recommendations made in the report and will actively follow them up. 

     The Government has been advocating clean recycling and serving the public through expanding the community recycling network. The EPD has been expanding and upgrading the coverage of the community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNITY, consisting of Recycling Stations, Recycling Stores and Recycling Spots. Among them, a new batch of 10 Recycling Stores has all begun operation. Furthermore, the EPD has rolled out a GREEN$ Electronic Participation Incentive Scheme and, in January 2022, launched a mobile app so as to encourage more members of the public to participate in separation of resources and clean recycling.

     The recycling bins in public places such as roadsides are one of the community recycling facilities. However, the quantity of recyclables collected from these bins is limited, with around 1 000 tonnes per year, amounting to less than 0.1 per cent of the annual total amount of recyclables collected in Hong Kong. With the gradual development of the community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNITY and the implementation of various waste reduction and recycling programmes, the EPD anticipates a declining demand for roadside recycling bins in urban areas. The role of recycling bins at roadsides and other public places will also gradually change and they may even be completely replaced due to the development of the community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNITY and other factors. The EPD is reviewing the positioning of recycling bins in public places for deciding on the way forward.

     The Water Supplies Department (WSD) today (April 28) announced that guided tours to Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir would be resumed on May 16. Members of the public are welcome to make appointments from 9am on May 3 through the WSD's "Guided Tour to Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir" dedicated webpage.
      
     A spokesman for the WSD said that having regard to the very positive public response to the guided tours, three tours would be offered daily, with the number of participants in each tour to be increased to 24 upon resumption of guided tours. The tour schedule for the guided tours is set out at the Annex. Each guided tour will last for about 90 minutes, covering aspects of internal and external design and architectural structures of the service reservoir, as well as the historical development of the fresh water supply system in Kowloon, etc, so as to enable members of the public to understand and appreciate the historic structure in person.
      
     To reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission, all visitors entering the service reservoir, except for exempted persons, will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" app to scan the venue QR code and to comply with the requirements of the Vaccine Pass and other infection control measures. Moreover, the working staff of the guided tours have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and they are required to conduct COVID-19 rapid antigen tests with a negative result on the day of receiving the guided tours.
      
     The Government will carry out studies and consult the public, including making reference to the public's views collected upon their participation in the guided tours, and look into the options of conserving and revitalising the Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir in the long run, with a view to enabling the public to enjoy this place.

     The Government yesterday (April 27) 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 3pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Kwai Chung (i.e. Hong Yam House, On Yam Estate, Kwai Chung) 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.
 
     Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from April 21 to April 27, 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 29, 2022. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at 8.45am today (April 28) 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 10.45am 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 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 8.45am 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 or wore a wristband 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 10.45am. Test records of 488 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Ten were found not having undergone compulsory testing and compulsory testing orders were issued to them. 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 46 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.

     Five new names: Penha, Peilou, Narra, Gaenari and Bang-lang, have been introduced to the list of tropical cyclone names in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in 2022 to replace the old names of Vongfong, Linfa, Molave, Goni and Vamco respectively.

     The new names were endorsed at the 54th session of the Typhoon Committee, which is under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the World Meteorological Organization.

     The meanings of the five new names and the contributing countries/regions are as follows:
 

     According to convention, the Typhoon Committee will consider retiring the name of a tropical cyclone which has caused serious casualties and economic losses. In May 2020, Severe Typhoon Vongfong left at least 160 injuries and damaged more than 10 000 houses during its passage across the Philippines. In October 2020, Tropical Storm Linfa brought torrential rain to Vietnam, leading to 148 deaths or missing persons. Severe Typhoon Molave hit the Philippines and Vietnam successively in late October 2020, resulting in at least 50 deaths, 40 injuries and 78 missing. Super Typhoon Goni, the most intense tropical cyclone in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea since Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, directly hit the Philippines in early November 2020 and killed at least 25 persons and damaged over 170 000 houses. In mid-November 2020, Severe Typhoon Vamco brought torrential rain and squalls to the Philippines and Vietnam, leaving at least 102 deaths, 90 injuries and 10 missing.

     The updated list of tropical cyclone names and their corresponding meanings is available at the Hong Kong Observatory website (www.hko.gov.hk/en/informtc/sound/tcname2022e.html).

     â€‹The Government today (April 28) announced the appointments to the Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee (COAC) and Professor Lui Yu-hon as Chairman of the COAC for the period from May 1, 2022, to April 30, 2024.
      
     The Home Affairs Bureau thanked the outgoing Chairman, Professor Andrew Chan Chi-fai, and nine outgoing members (Ms Emily Chan Wing-yee, Professor Ching May-bo, Dr Agnes Ko Po-yee, Mr Lai Yiu-wai, Ms Lam Yan-yin (Lam Kwan-ling), Ms Cynthia Liu Chiu-fun, Ms Susan Pau Suk-hang (Yum Tsz-yu), Mr David Yip Wing-shing and Mr Johnson Yuen Tak-cheong) for their valuable contributions to the Committee. The Home Affairs Bureau looks forward to maintaining close partnership with the Committee to promote the development of Cantonese opera, facilitating the transmission of this world intangible cultural heritage item.

     The full membership of the Committee with effect from May 1, 2022, is as follows:

Professor Lui Yu-hon (Chairman)*
Ms Susanna Cheng Wing-mui*
Ms Cheung Man-wai*
Mr Andrew Fung Hau-chung*
Ms Kuk Man-yu
Mr Lan Lianqin (Lan Tin-yau)
Professor Ricardo Mak King-sang
Mr Ng Lap-hei
Ms Tang Mi-ling
Ms Kitty Tsui Kit-yee (Tsui Yong-yong)
Mr Wan Kwong-shing (Wan Yuk-yu)
Dr Elizabeth Wang Ming-chun
Ms Ivy Wong Mun-ha (Fong Suet-ying)
Ms Connie Yiu Wai-ha
Representative of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Representative of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Representative of the Hong Kong Tourism Board
Representative of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
Representative of the Education Bureau
Representative of the Home Affairs Bureau
Representative of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department

* New appointees