******************************************************
The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, and the Director of Home Affairs, Mrs Pamela Tan, joined the cleanliness activities today (January 27), appealing to people to observe personal, public and environmental hygiene.
Dr Chow was in Eastern District and Mrs Tan in Tsuen Wan District.
Today's cleanliness activities are the last of the Government's six days of Lunar year-end cleaning campaign which began last weekend. More than 13,000 volunteers have participated in many events in 18 districts during the period.
The activities include cleaning of streets, rear lanes, common areas of public housing estates and old tenement buildings; inspection of hygiene black spots; home cleaning for the elderly; cleanliness contests; Lunar New Year cleaning carnivals, bus parades, as well as distribution of cleaning kits and publicity materials.
Dr Chow said the Government needed people's co-operation and participation to maintain public and environmental hygiene.
"Good environmental hygiene is important in the prevention of diseases and we need the participation of the whole community in maintaining public health," he said.
Dr Chow, joining volunteers to participate in a clean-up demonstration at a market this afternoon, reminded tenants and market-goers to keep the environment clean and observe personal and public hygiene.
Mrs Tan visited an elderly woman living in Tsuen Wan to see volunteers' home cleaning services for the elderly and to send her new year greetings.
"Most participants of the Chinese year-end cleanliness activities are volunteers, including District Council members, District Clean Hong Kong Committee members, Area Committee members, District Hygiene Squad members, Mutual Aid Committee members and residents," Mrs Tan said.
Extending her thanks for their great support for the territory-wide cleaning campaign, she said the campaign came to a successful close and showed the closeness of the community in the lead up to the Lunar New Year.
"Although the cleanliness campaign is ending, we should not lower our guard. I appeal to people, especially those firework display spectators on the promenades, to join with the Government to keep the environment clean and enjoy a hygienic Hong Kong in celebration of the Lunar New Year," she added.
The Lunar year-end cleanliness activities, with the joint effort of 18 District Councils, various District Clean Hong Kong Committees and government departments, are the highlight of the three-month campaign that began last November.
Ends/Friday, January 27, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:50
NNNN
