Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Email this article Government Homepage
People urged to keep public pools clean in new swimming season
********************************************************

    People have been urged to keep public swimming pools clean and hygienic during the new swimming season, which starts tomorrow (April 1).

     A spokesman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said public swimming pools belonged to the whole community and people should maintain both personal and environmental hygiene by observing the rules of using the pools.

     "You should not go swimming if you feel unwell and should consult a doctor as soon as possible," he said.

     Swimmers are advised to use the toilet before swimming. Parents should tell their children to maintain personal and public hygiene and remind them not to urinate or defecate in the pools.

     If a swimmer feels sick, he should leave the water at once and use the toilet if necessary.

     "Swimmers should take a shower in the changing room, and walk through the shower bath and footbath before entering the pool deck," the spokesman said.

     "Swimmers who prefer to wear slippers on the pool deck areas should make sure their slippers are thoroughly clean and they should put them on in a designated area of the changing room. Those who want to wear T-shirts while swimming should bring along a clean white T-shirt and put it over their swimsuit in the changing room and then walk through the shower bath."

     In the new swimming season, public swimming pools will open in three sessions daily from 6.30am to 10pm with two session breaks.

     Details of the opening hours of the pools in the urban areas are:

A. Opening hours from 6.30am to noon, 1pm to 5pm and 6pm to 10pm with two breaks from noon to 1pm and from 5pm to 6pm. These swimming pools are:

Kennedy Town Swimming Pool in Central and Western District; Morrison Hill Swimming Pool in Wan Chai District; Victoria Park Swimming Pool, Island East Swimming Pool and Chai Wan Swimming Pool in Eastern District; Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool, Ho Man Tin Swimming Pool and Tai Wan Shan Swimming Pool in Kowloon City District; and Kowloon Park Swimming Pool and Tai Kok Tsui Swimming Pool in Yau Tsim Mong District.

B. Opening hours from 6.30am to noon, 1pm to 5.30pm and 6.30pm to 10pm with two breaks from noon to 1pm and from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. These swimming pools are:

Hammer Hill Road Swimming Pool and Morse Park Swimming Pool in Wong Tai Sin District.

C. Opening hours from 6.30am to noon, 1pm to 6pm and 7pm to 10pm with two breaks from noon to 1pm and from 6pm to 7pm. These swimming pools are:

Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool in Southern District; Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool, Lei Cheng Uk Swimming Pool and Lai Chi Kok Park Swimming Pool in Sham Shui Po District; and Kwun Tong Swimming Pool and Jordan Valley Swimming Pool in Kwun Tong District.

     Pools in the New Territories will open from 6.30am to 10pm with breaks from noon to 1 pm and 6.30pm to 7.30pm. These pools are Tuen Mun Swimming Pool and The Jockey
Club Yan Oi Tong Swimming Pool in Tuen Mun District; Yuen Long Swimming Pool and Tin Shui Wai Swimming Pool in Yuen Long District; Tsuen King Circuit Wu Chung Swimming Pool and Shing Mun Valley Swimming Pool in Tsuen Wan District; Kwai Shing Swimming Pool, North Kwai Chung Jockey Club Swimming Pool and Tsing Yi Swimming Pool in Kwai Tsing District; Fanling Swimming Pool and Sheung Shui Swimming Pool in North District; Tai Po Swimming Pool in Tai Po District; Sha Tin Jockey Club Swimming Pool, Hin Tin Swimming Pool and Ma On Shan Swimming Pool in Sha Tin District; and Tseung Kwan O Swimming Pool and Sai Kung Swimming Pool in Sai Kung District.

     However, to tie in with the ferry schedule, Mui Wo Swimming Pool on Lantau Island will be open from 8.30am to 10pm. The two breaks will be from noon to 1pm and from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

     Meanwhile, the following public swimming pools will be temporarily closed for annual maintenance.

Swimming Pool                       Maintenance Date
--------------                      ----------------

Morrison Hill Swimming Pool         May 1 to June 30

Victoria Park Swimming Pool       April 1 to April 30

Lai Chi Kok Park Swimming Pool    April 24 to June 30
(only the main pool is open from April 1 to 23)

Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool   April 1 to April 23
Hammer Hill Road Swimming Pool      April 1 to May 31

Indoor pools at
Kowloon Park Swimming Pool          April 1 to May 31

Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool         April 1 to June 30

The main pool at
Tseung Kwan O Swimming Pool         April 1 to May 28

The main pool and diving pool at
Sha Tin Jockey Club Swimming Pool   April 1 to May 31

The main pool at
Fanling Swimming Pool               April 1 to May 31

Hin Tin Swimming Pool              April 1 to June 15

     The spokesman said special weekly cleaning operations at public swimming pools would continue in the new swimming season. Pool facilities will be closed from 10am until the end of the second session on the weekly cleaning day.

     The schedule for these cleaning operations is listed below:

Swimming pools to close on Mondays for cleaning
------------------------------------------------

Victoria Park Swimming Pool in Eastern District; Tai Kok Tsui Swimming Pool in Yau Tsim Mong District; Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool in Kowloon City District; Hammer Hill Road Swimming Pool in Wong Tai Sin District; Shing Mun Valley Swimming Pool in Tsuen Wan District; North Kwai Chung Jockey Club Swimming Pool in Kwai Tsing District; Tai Po Swimming Pool in Tai Po District; and Tseung Kwan O Swimming Pool in Sai Kung District.

Swimming pools to close on Tuesdays for cleaning
------------------------------------------------

Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool in Southern District; Chai Wan Swimming Pool in Eastern District; Kowloon Park Swimming Pool in Yau Tsim Mong District; Jordon Valley Swimming Pool in Kwun Tong District; The Jockey Club Yan Oi Tong Swimming Pool in Tuen Mun District; Tsuen King Circuit Wu Chung Swimming Pool in Tsuen Wan District; Fanling Swimming Pool in North District; and Ma On Shan Swimming Pool in Sha Tin District.

Swimming pools to close on Wednesdays for cleaning
---------------------------------------------------

Kennedy Town Swimming Pool in Central and Western District; Island East Swimming Pool in Eastern District; Lai Chi Kok Park Swimming Pool in Sham Shui Po District; Ho Man Tin Swimming Pool in Kowloon City District; Kwun Tong Swimming Pool in Kwun Tong District; Yuen Long Swimming Pool in Yuen Long District; and Sai Kung Swimming Pool in Sai Kung District.

Swimming pools to close on Thursdays for cleaning
--------------------------------------------------

Morrison Hill Swimming Pool in Wan Chai District; Lei Cheng Uk Swimming Pool in Sham Shui Po District; Tai Wan Shan Swimming Pool in Kowloon City District; Tuen Mun Swimming Pool in Tuen Mun District; Tin Shui Wan Swimming Pool in Yuen Long District; Tsing Yi Swimming Pool in Kwai Tsing District; Sheung Shui Swimming Pool in North District; and Hin Tin Swimming Pool in Sha Tin District.

Swimming pools to close on Fridays for cleaning
------------------------------------------------

Wan Chai Swimming Pool in Wan Chai District; Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool in Sham Shui Po District; Morse Park Swimming Pool in Wong Tai Sin District; Mui Wo Swimming Pool in Islands District; Kwai Shing Swimming Pool in Kwai Tsing District; and Sha Tin Jockey Club Swimming Pool in Sha Tin District.

Ends/Friday, March 31, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:58

NNNN