Housing Department reminds tenants to keep estates clean during Mid-Autumn Festival
With the Mid-Autumn Festival just around the corner, the Housing Department (HD) reminds residents living in Public Rental Housing (PRH) estates to handle lighted candles with care and to keep the estates clean, in order to ensure a safe and joyful celebration.
An HD spokesman reminds residents today (September 13) to not litter or boil wax in public places of PRH estates, as both flames and melted wax can pose a risk of injury. Boiling wax may cause fires and severe burns. Therefore, parents should educate their children on the proper handling of flames and prevent them from boiling wax.
According to the Estate Management Marking Scheme (Marking Scheme), littering or boiling wax in a PRH estate is a misdeedattributable to the allotment of penalty points immediately without warning. Residents committing these misdeeds may also contravene relevant ordinances and can be fined $3,000 at the same time.
"Although issues of littering or wax boiling caused by PRH residents during the Mid-Autumn Festival have significantly improved in the past, we will continue to step up our patrols this year. When patrol staff discover minors boiling wax, verbal warnings will be given to them. If they refuse to stop the misdeeds, we will approach their parents for follow-up actions. The household concerned may be subject to an allotment of penalty points under the Marking Scheme, and the tenancy will be terminated if 16 points or more are allotted within two years," the spokesman stressed.
Apart from routine checks by estate offices, staff members from the HD's Regional Patrol Teams and Mobile Operations Unit will be deployed to patrol PRH estates beyond midnight for three consecutive days from Monday (September 16) to Wednesday (September 18).
Messages for urging tenants to not litter or boil wax and to keep the estates clean have been publicised through posters, the Housing Channel and more. Additional cleaning workers will be deployed to clean up early in the morning following the festival day.
The spokesman called for PRH residents' support in keeping the estates clean and encouraged them to report any misdeeds to estate offices or the Housing Authority Hotline on 2712 2712.
Source: AI-generated images
CHP reminds public on precautions against heat stroke during very hot weather
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (September 18) reminded members of the public, particularly those undertaking outdoor activities, to take heed of necessary measures against heat stroke and sunburn in very hot weather.
"The public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities," a spokesman for the CHP said.
"Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system," the spokesman explained.
"Infants and children, the elderly, pregnant women, those with chronic illnesses such as heart disease or high blood pressure, outdoor/manual workers, and individuals who are overweight are more vulnerable to heat stroke. They should pay special attention," the spokesman added.
The public should adopt the following precautions:
Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;
Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion can place additional demands on the physique;
Perform outdoor activities in the morning or the late afternoon, if possible;
For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation;
Do not stay inside a parked vehicle; and
Reschedule work to cooler times of the day if feasible. If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable. Start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Move to a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.
The public should also note the latest and the forecast Ultraviolet (UV) Index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV Index is high (6 or above):
Minimise direct exposure of the skin and the eyes to sunlight;
Wear long-sleeved and loose-fitting clothes;
Wear a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella;
Seek a shaded area or put on UV-blocking sunglasses;
Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 15, preferably higher. Reapply every two hours if you stay out in the sun, and after swimming, sweating or towelling off; and
While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent.
If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.
The public may obtain more information from the DH's Health Education Infoline (2833 0111),heat strokepage andUV radiationpage; the HKO's Dial-a-Weather (1878 200),latestweather report and forecast,UV Indexand weather information forhiking and mountaineering; andpress releasesof the Labour Departmenton precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force.
