The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, November 5, 2021 is 101.2 (same as yesterday's index).

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (November 5) that Tung Chung Swimming Pool in Islands District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of vomit in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 7.40pm today.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep the swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming.

     The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (November 5) that the Government will streamline administrative procedures by relaxing the arrangement for the food businesses covered by three types of licences to apply for the Offensive Trades Licence (OT Licence) under government leases with immediate effect.

     Currently, if a government lease contains an offensive trades clause, which prohibits the carrying out of the trades of sugar-baker, oilman, butcher, victualler and tavern-keeper on the concerned lot and the premises thereon, the owner of such premises has to apply for and obtain an OT Licence from the LandsD to remove the prohibition on these five relevant trades in order to operate a food business in such premises.

     Having considered the operation of the existing mechanism and stakeholders' views, the LandsD will relax the arrangement for applying for the OT Licences in respect of specified licensed food businesses. Specifically, in respect of a food business that obtained one or more of the following statutory licence(s) (including the relevant provisional licence(s)): (i) a General Restaurant Licence or (ii) a Light Refreshment Restaurant Licence granted by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene; or (iii) a Liquor Licence granted by the Liquor Licensing Board, where the premises is subject to the offensive trades clause under the government lease, an OT Licence will automatically be deemed to be granted to the owner of the concerned premises by the LandsD without requiring the owner to make an application separately and pay the relevant fee to the LandsD.

     "The new arrangement aims to foster a facilitating business environment for the food business industry by relaxing existing barriers and reducing the time and cost required for setting up a food business. An OT Licence deemed to be granted by the LandsD under the new arrangement will remain in force as long as the relevant statutory food business licence is also in force. However, upon the expiration or cancellation of the relevant statutory licence, such an OT Licence shall automatically cease to have effect, and the original offensive trades clause under the government lease shall resume to be applicable to the relevant premises," a spokesperson for the LandsD said.

     Details of the relaxed arrangement are contained in the Lands Administration Office Practice Note No. 3/2021 (www.landsd.gov.hk/en/resources/practice-notes/lao.html).

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs and the Fire Services Department (FSD) co-organised a counter-terrorism exercise codenamed "GATEKEEPER" yesterday (November 4) afternoon at the Passenger Clearance Building of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port. 

     About 100 officers from Customs and the FSD participated in the exercise, which comprised two scenarios. The first scenario simulated the identification of a passenger suspected to be related to terrorist activities during Customs clearance at the Passenger Clearance Building. The Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit was immediately informed of the incident for follow-up action.

     The second scenario demonstrated the effective activation of the contingency response plan by Customs officers against a biochemical attack attempted by a radical at the Passenger Clearance Building. Customs officers evacuated the building in an orderly and safe manner after subduing the attacker. FSD officers sped to the scene upon being summoned to mount a rescue operation and handle the hazardous material.

     Through the exercise, Customs and the FSD aimed to raise frontline officers' awareness of counter-terrorism and their capability to handle counter-terrorism intelligence. The exercise also served to enhance the co-ordination and communication between the two departments and strengthen the response capabilities of the officers in the event of terrorist incidents for better protecting the lives and property of the public.

            

     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (November 5) announced that the department tested 80 water samples collected from cooling towers in 49 buildings in its routine inspections in October this year. Three samples were detected to have a total legionella count at or above the upper threshold, which is 1 000 colony-forming units per millilitre. The latest statistics are set out in Annex 1.

     The cooling towers in which the three samples were collected in October are located at 70 Lung Sum Avenue, Shek Wu Hui, Sheung Shui; MacPherson Place, 38 Nelson Street, Mong Kok; and Diamond Building, 195-199 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po. The EMSD has issued nuisance notices under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance to the owners of the cooling towers requiring appropriate disinfection work to be done. Disinfection of the cooling towers in these three cases has already been completed by the owners. Details of these three cases can be found in Annex 2. The EMSD publishes the latest statistics of the above information on a half-monthly basis on its website (www.emsd.gov.hk/en/other_regulatory_services/cooling_towers/water_sampling/index.html).
     â€‹
     The EMSD reminds the owners of fresh water cooling towers that they have the responsibility to design, operate and maintain cooling towers properly. They should arrange regular inspections, timely maintenance and periodic testing of the water quality in their cooling towers in accordance with the Code of Practice for Fresh Water Cooling Towers issued by the department to prevent the proliferation of legionella.