Briefs | Pools closed due to lifeguard shortage

Two swimming pools in Macau have been closed as of last Saturday on account of a lack of lifeguards to ensure safety standards. The Cheok Van Beach and Sun Iat Sen swimming pools are closed until further notice, without a date set for reopening. According to public broadcaster TDM, the Sports Bureau, which is responsible for overseeing such facilities, reported that the company hired to manage the pools had not recruited enough lifeguards. TDM said that the shortage might be linked to a strike by company staff. Citing the Labour Affairs Bureau, the broadcaster said that complaints had been received from workers regarding overwork and late pay.

Hac Sa Beach passes water quality tests

The Marine and Water Bureau has been notified by the Laboratory of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau that the latest test result of water samples taken from the sea at Hac Sa Beach proved negative for Vibrio cholerae. The Bureau also noted that other parameters of water quality were within the required standards. Accordingly, the Marine and Water Bureau will lower the red flag and remove the notices at the beach that advised beach-goers to avoid entering the sea. According to the Bureau, the related departments will continue to monitor the situation and provide the public with the latest information.

Secretary Tam leads tourism, sports delegation to Bay Area 

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam has led a delegation comprising officials of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Sports Bureau to visit several cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Bay Area to better understand their tourism attractions and facilities. The mission was organized by the MGTO with the aim of fostering multi-destination tourism and advancing the integration efforts within the Greater Bay area. The visit included a two-day Macau travel roadshow in Shenzhen to showcase Macau as a Creative City of Gastronomy. Secretary Tam also visited Guangzhou and Foshan to exchange perspectives on resource-sharing and collaborative development, according to a statement from the government. The other cities and districts included in the visit were Nansha (Guangzhou), Dongguan and Huizhou.

Call for submissions of works to ‘Printmaking Triennial’

Applications for the “3rd Macau Printmaking Triennial”, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, may be submitted until  September 30. The exhibition aims to improve this printmaking exchange platform and encourage the combination of more cultural and artistic elements in the art of printmaking. Gold, silver and bronze prizes as well as several honourable mentions will be awarded.  There are no restrictions on the printmaking types or production techniques. Works must have been produced in the last three years. The judging will be done in October and the list of selected works will be released at the beginning of November, with it being anticipated that the exhibition will be held at the end of December. 

Mainland pigs with swine fever were not exported to Macau

Macau’s pork importers have clarified that Macau’s supplies do not contain imported goods from the mainland provinces affected by the swine fever outbreak that has surfaced in mainland China. Recently, in some mainland provinces, including Liaoning Province (Boyang city), Guangxi Province (Nanning city), and Heilongjiang Province, swine fever was detected in pigs that were being shipped from these places to Henan Province.  Macau’s two suppliers, Nam Yue and Nam Kwong, both declared that they are following the development of the incidents closely, and that none of Macau’s imported mainland pig products are from the aforementioned provinces.

Car accident injured three

On Friday, a car accident took place at the Av. Do Ouvidor Arriaga, injuring three pedestrians. The accident, which was recorded near the Edf. Golden Garden was caused by a truck suspected of not having given way to pedestrians crossing the zebra crossing. The truck hit three people, including a boy of approximately 5 years, who sustained injuries to his left leg and his head.  All three victims sustained light injuries and were sent to the Kiang Wu Hospital for medical treatment.