The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting was adjourned today (June 17) due to the lack of a quorum. The President of LegCo has, in accordance with Rules 17(6) and 14(4), decided to call a meeting tomorrow (June 18) at 9am to continue the unfinished business on the Agenda for the Council meeting of June 17, 2020.
Police today (June 17) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Mong Kok.
Wong Ka-hing, aged 68, went missing after he left his hostel on Ivy Street on June 15 morning. The staff of the hostel made a report to Police on the next day (June 16).
He is about 1.72 metres tall, 70 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a pink short-sleeved T-shirt, grey shorts, black slippers and a pair of black-rimmed glasses.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8036 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 17) investigating two suspected food poisoning clusters affecting four persons, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent food-borne diseases.
The first cluster involved two females aged 43 and 52 respectively, who developed abdominal pain and diarrhoea about six to 39 hours after having dinner at a restaurant in Mong Kok on June 12.
Another cluster involved one male and one female aged 25 and 26 respectively, who developed similar symptoms about 16 to 47 hours after having dinner at the same restaurant on June 14.
Three of the affected persons sought medical advice and none required hospitalisation. All affected persons are in a stable condition.
"We have alerted the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to the incident and investigations are ongoing," a spokesman for the CHP said.
To prevent food-borne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out:
• Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
• Avoid eating raw seafood;
• Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters, at a buffet;
• Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before eating during a hot pot or barbecue meal;
• Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process;
• Use two sets of chopsticks and utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Do not patronise illegal food hawkers;
• Drink boiled water;
• Do not try to use salt, vinegar, wine and wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
• Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.
Four women and a man were charged with contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts and the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (June 17). Three of the women were fined $20,000 to $40,000, while the other woman was fined $14,000 for two charges and also fined $300 for the period in which the offences continued, and the man was fined $4,000 and also fined $300 for the period in which the offence continued.
The courts heard that between August and November last year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected five suspected unlicensed guesthouses on Castle Peak Road and Wah Yuen Drive in Kwai Chung, Portland Street in Mong Kok, Tai Nan Street in Sham Shui Po and Hoi Ting Road in Tai Kok Tsui. During the inspections, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented rooms in these guesthouses on a daily basis.
According to the OLA's records, these guesthouses did not possess licences under the Ordinance on the days of inspection. The women and the man responsible for operating and managing the premises were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and can lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.
The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has announced that as of 4pm today (June 17), the CHP was investigating eight additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 1 121 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 1 120 confirmed cases and one probable case).
The newly reported cases announced today involve two males and six females aged between 4 and 70. They had travel history during the incubation period. The CHP's epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the confirmed cases are ongoing. For case details and contact tracing information, please see the Annex.
Meanwhile, the CHP has been actively conducting an epidemiological investigation as well as carrying out preventive and control measures in regard to the cluster in Luk Chuen House, Lek Yuen Estate, Sha Tin. The CHP has given out more specimen bottles to residents of Luk Chuen House through the Housing Department for collecting deep throat saliva samples for the second round of COVID-19 testing. As of 4pm today, the CHP had collected and tested 1 066 deep throat saliva samples in the second round for Luk Chuen House and all of them tested negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The CHP strongly appeals to the residents to collect their deep throat saliva samples according to instructions and submit them to the CHP for early testing. The CHP will arrange compulsory testing for those who do not return their samples.
The CHP again urged members of the public to maintain an appropriate social distance with other people as far as possible in their daily lives to minimise the risk of infection. In particular, they should go out less and avoid social activities such as meal gatherings or other gatherings to reduce the chance of contacting infected persons who may not present any symptoms, and minimise the risk of outbreak clusters emerging in the community.
A spokesman for the CHP said, "Given that the situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and that there is a continuous increase in the number of cases reported around the world, members of the public are strongly urged to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong.
"The CHP also strongly urges the public to maintain at all times strict personal and environmental hygiene, which is key to personal protection against infection and prevention of the spread of the disease in the community. On a personal level, members of the public should wear a surgical mask when having respiratory symptoms, taking public transport or staying in crowded places. They should also perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes.
"As for household environmental hygiene, members of the public are advised to maintain drainage pipes properly, regularly pour water into drain outlets (U-traps) and cover all floor drain outlets when they are not in use. After using the toilet, they should put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spreading germs."
Moreover, the Government has launched the website "COVID-19 Thematic Website" (www.coronavirus.gov.hk) for announcing the latest updates on various news on COVID-19 infection and health advice to help the public understand the latest updates. Members of the public may also gain access to information via the COVID-19 WhatsApp Helpline launched by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer. Simply by saving 9617 1823 in their phone contacts or clicking the link wa.me/85296171823?text=hi, they will be able to obtain information on COVID-19 as well as the "StayHomeSafe" mobile app and wristband via WhatsApp.
To prevent pneumonia and respiratory tract infection, members of the public should always maintain good personal and environmental hygiene. They are advised to:
• Wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
• Perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, after touching public installations such as handrails or doorknobs, or when hands are contaminated by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing;
• Maintain drainage pipes properly and regularly (about once a week) pour about half a litre of water into each drain outlet (U-trap) to ensure environmental hygiene;
• Cover all floor drain outlets when they are not in use;
• After using the toilet, put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spreading germs;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds. Then rinse with water and dry with a disposable paper towel. If hand washing facilities are not available, or when hands are not visibly soiled, performing hand hygiene with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub is an effective alternative;
• Cover your mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissues into a lidded rubbish bin, then wash hands thoroughly; and
• When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending class at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly.