The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) concluded the first round of this year's anti-rodent operation in designated target areas in all districts on June 28. During the operation, the FEHD collected 1 035 dead rodents, caught 793 rodents in traps and took out 268 prosecutions. The operation effectively enhanced the rodent prevention and control work at the district level.
      
     An FEHD spokesman said today (July 8), "The FEHD launched the eight-week anti-rodent operation in designated target areas on May 6, with multi-pronged strategies including improving environmental hygiene, and stepping up rodent disinfestation and enforcement actions, to carry out targeted rodent prevention and control work in the districts. In the past eight weeks, the FEHD strengthened rodent control work at problematic spots such as rear lanes, refuse collection points, markets, hawker bazaars, cooked food markets, peripheral areas of construction sites, etc. The department placed poisonous baits at 7 227 locations, placed 18 545 traps, and destroyed 390 rat holes, with 1 035 dead rodents collected and 793 rodents caught in traps.
      
     "Apart from strengthening rodent control work, FEHD staff also enhanced street cleansing services and cleansing of public markets and hawker bazaars in the target areas, including sweeping and washing of streets and rear lanes, and clearing of refuse and waste on the streets, in public markets and hawker bazaars, so as to keep the environment clean.
      
     "In addition, the FEHD stepped up inspections of markets, hawker bazaars, cooked food markets and food premises. Enforcement actions especially against premises causing poor environmental hygiene conditions, food preparation and scullery at rear lanes, and improper storage of articles and illegal dumping of refuse were strengthened. The FEHD conducted 19 406 inspections and issued 5 201 health advisories, 1 754 verbal warnings, 31 warning letters, six statutory notices and 412 fixed penalty notices and took out 268 prosecutions in the past eight weeks."
      
     The FEHD also stepped up public education and publicity, and arranged 202 health talks for building management companies of private buildings, persons-in-charge of food premises, and market and hawker stall operators to provide information and technical advice on rodent prevention and control.
      
     The spokesman said that the FEHD will continue its efforts in rodent prevention and control. With the commencement of the second phase of the territory-wide anti-rodent campaign today, which will last for 10 weeks, he called on all sectors of the community to continue to participate in the campaign and eliminate the three fundamental survival conditions of rodents in their daily life, namely food, harbourage and passages, i.e. the elimination of the food sources and hiding places of rodents as well as blockage of their dispersal routes, so as to work together to combat rodent problem.
   

Ends/Monday, July 8, 2019
Issued at HKT 14:30

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