The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today that it will arrange for the 12 public markets on Hong Kong Island and in the New Territories to be closed earlier at 7pm for deep cleaning and disinfection from July 26 to 28.

Similar measures were adopted for the 12 public markets in Kowloon last week to safeguard the health and safety of market stall tenants and the public in view of the recent severe epidemic situation.

With the support of the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the FEHD completed yesterday the first phase of the installation of the body temperature checking system in six of its markets in Kowloon with a high patronage rate for monitoring the body temperature of people entering the markets.

The FEHD will progressively install the system in other markets with a high patronage rate and has arranged for body temperature checks of market patrons by its staff using hand-held thermometers in some markets to enhance the effectiveness of epidemic prevention.

It will also carry out deep cleaning work on the periphery of the markets and nearby streets. The cleaning and disinfection work will last about four hours.

The department called for the tenants' co-operation in cleaning and disinfecting their respective stalls to improve the overall hygiene condition of the markets.