18
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCILcan do is to instruct the staff organizing the events to monitor sound levels during future performances and to avoid excessive volume. I am arranging with the Department for this to be done.
DR. CHAM (in English): Mr. Chairman, in his reply, Mr. Hu referred to our future efforts to avoid excessive volume. May I ask what excessive volume meant?
MR. HU (in English): Mr. Chairman, the spectator stand is about 80 feet from the stage and the noise level at the spectator stand on a continuous basis is set around 70 decibels. This is on a continuous basis, but occasionally it may rise up to 75 to 80 decibels and as regards residential buildings nearby which are about 200 feet away, on a continuous basis, the noise level is around 40 decibels, but occasionally it may increase to 55 decibels.
DR. CHAM (in English): Mr. Chairman, how does this compare to the average noise level in a busy district like Mong Kok?
MR. HU (in English): Mr. Chairman, the average noise levels measured in typical Mong Kok district, say along Nelson Street is about 74.5 decibels in the evening, say 7:30 to 9 o'clock.
DR. CHAM (in English): What time do our entertainment programmes finish, because this will have a bearing on the effects on residents there?
MR. Hu (in English): Mr. Chairman, the performance usually will start at 8 o'clock and finish at about 10 o'clock, but occasionally, it may extend slightly beyond 10 o'clock.
MR. YOUNG (in English): Mr. Chairman, according to the replies given, the spectator stands is 70 decibels, residents, 40, whereas Mong Kok 75. I don't know whether it indicates that you get more entertainment walking round Nelson Street than in the spectator stand, but does the chairman know whether we have received any complaint from the residents about this noise or not?
MR. HU (in English): Occasionally, we do receive complaints, but I think as far as nuisance is concerned it is a matter of individual judgement, some people may consider it acceptable, but some may not. There is no absolute clear definition of what is a nuisance. Of course, the people on Nelson Street are sure to get free entertainment not provided by the Council (laughter).
4.
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU asked the following question (in Cantonese): In view of reports of anthrax in Hong Kong, what additional measures have been implemented to protect public health?
THE HONOURABLE MARIA W. C. Tam, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): This question concerns the
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCILPage 26 of 142
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additional measures taken to protect public health following the recent outbreak of anthrax.
Anthrax is primarily a disease of animals and under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance, dairies in Hong Kong are licensed by the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries who is the authority for the purposes of the Dairies Regulations. In man, infection is usually occupational and occurs when workers contract the disease either through the skin or by inhalation when handling infected items such as animal carcases, hides, hair etc. There have been two recent cases where workers contracted anthrax, and the Medical and Health Department has taken all the necessary public health measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
The Council's responsibility in respect of anthrax is to ensure that the supply of milk and meat is safe and that they have not been contaminated by anthrax germs.
Authorities on animal diseases consider that cattle infected with anthrax do not usually pass on the germs in their milk and there are few reports of milk-transmitted anthrax. However, additional precautionary measures have been taken including the following:
(i) Firstly, before heat-treatment, that is, pasteurization is carried out, raw milk from infected sheds is detained and kept under refrigeration until the bacteriological examination of samples has shown them to be negative.
(ii) Secondly, after heat-treatment, the pasteurized milk is not released to the market but, once again, is kept under refrigeration until the bacteriological examination of samples has shown them to be negative.
(iii) Thirdly, pasteurized milk produced by all other local dairies and processing plants has also been sampled in order to detect anthrax germs.
All the samples taken so far have proved to be negative. However, milk produced by the dairy where anthrax has occurred is still subject to the additional precautionary measures which I have mentioned.
MR. LAU (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, in Miss TAM's reply, I think nothing has been mentioned about the precautionary measures taken against meat and hide. Can she explain more in detail?
MISS TAM (in Cantonese): Of course, because of the infection area of the germs, only the skin and the meat of the animals are affected; the milk producing organs of the cattle are quite different in this respect, and therefore basically, milk is not affected, but the meat could be affected. But now, the problem is with the dairy and so we can only examine the milk. The meat is not for consumption and if cattle for consumption are contaminated by the anthrax germs, then the meat should not be taken as food. As germs will stay on the hide of the animal as well, it cannot be used. At the moment, we are concerned with the problem of milk contamination. So pasteurization is carried out. Raw milk
18
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
can do is to instruct the staff organizing the events to monitor sound levels during future performances and to avoid excessive volume. I am arranging with the Department for this to be done.
DR. CHAM (in English): Mr. Chairman, in his reply, Mr. Hu referred to our future efforts to avoid excessive volume. May I ask what excessive volume meant?
away
MR. HU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the spectator stand is about 80 feet from the stage and the noise level at the spectator stand on a continuous basis is set around 70 decibels. This is on a continuous basis, but occasionally it may rise up to 75 to 80 decibels and as regards residential buildings nearby which are about 200 feet away, on a continuous basis, the noise level is around 40 decibels. but occasionally it may increase to 55 decibels.
DR. CHAM (in English):--Mr. Chairman, how does this compare to the average noise level in a busy district like Mong Kok?
a
MR. HU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the average noise levels measured in typical Mong Kok district, say along Nelson Street is about 74.5 decibels in the evening, say 7:30 to 9 o'clock.
DR. CHAM (in English):-What time do our entertainment programmes finish, because this will have a bearing on the effects on residents there?
MR. Hu (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the performance usually will start at 8 o'clock and finish at about 10 o'clock, but occasionally, it may extend slightly beyond 10 o'clock.
MR. YOUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, according to the replies given, the spectator stands is 70 decibels, residents, 40, whereas Mong Kok 75. I don't know whether it indicates that you get more entertainment walking round Nelson Street than in the spectator stand, but does the chairman know whether we have received any complaint from the residents about this noise or not?
MR. HU (in English):-Occasionally, we do receive complaints, but I think as far as nuisance is concerned it is a matter of individual judgement, some people may consider it acceptable, but some may not. There is no absolute clear definition of what is a nuisance. Of course, the people on Nelson Street are sure to get free entertainment not provided by the Council (laughter).
4.
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU asked the following question (in Cantonese):---In view of reports of anthrax in Hong Kong, what additional measures have been implemented to protect public health?
THE HONOURABLE MARIA W. C. Tam, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns the
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 26 of 142
19
additional measures taken to protect public health following the recent
outbreak of anthrax.
Anthrax is primarily a disease of animals and under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance, dairies in Hong Kong are licensed by the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries who is the authority for the purposes of the Dairies Regulations. In man, infection is usually occupational and occurs when workers contract the disease either through the skin or by inhalation when handling infected items such as animal carcases, hides, hair etc. There have been two recent cases where workers contracted anthrax, and the Medical and Health Department has taken all the necessary public health measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
The Council's responsibility in respect of anthrax is to ensure that the supply of milk and meat is safe and that they have not been contaminated by anthrax germs.
Authorities on animal diseases consider that cattle infected with anthrax do not usually pass on the germs in their milk and there are few reports of milk- transmitted anthrax. However, additional precautionary measures have been taken including the following:--
(i) Firstly, before heat-treatment, that is, pasteurization is carried out, raw milk from infected sheds is detained and kept under refrigeration until the bacteriological examination of samples has shown them to be negative. (ii) Secondly, after heat-treatment, the pasteurized milk is not released to the market but, once again, is kept under refrigeration until the bacteriological examination of samples has shown them to be negative.
(iii) Thirdly, pasteurized milk produced by all other local dairies and processing
plants has also been sampled in order to detect anthrax germs.
All the samples taken so far have proved to be negative. However, milk produced by the dairy where anthrax has occurred is still subject to the additional precautionary measures which I have mentioned.
MR. LAU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, in Miss TAм's reply, I think nothing has been mentioned about the precautionary measures taken against meat and hide. Can she explain more in detail?
MISS TAM (in Cantonese):-Of course, because of the infection area of the germs, only the skin and the meat of the animals are affected; the milk producing organs of the cattle are quite different in this respect, and therefore basically, milk is not affected, but the meat could be affected. But now, the problem is with the dairy and so we can only examine the milk. The meat is not for consumption and if cattle for consumption are contaminated by the anthrax germs, then the meat should not be taken as food. As germs will stay on the hide of the animal as well, it cannot be used. At the moment, we are concerned with the problem of milk contamination. So pasteurization is carried out. Raw milk
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