Lower risks: Under the new requirement, operators have to clean and disinfect their poultry stalls on the 10th and 25th of each month.

Starting this month, poultry retail outlets will have an additional rest day, usually the 10th of the month, in addition to the one on the 25th.

The measure is recommended by the Avian Influenza Investigation Team to reduce avian flu virus in retail markets.

On the 10th day of each month, all live poultry in poultry retail outlets should be slaughtered before noon so that operators can suspend business to carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection.

The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will inspect all poultry outlets on rest days and penalise those who have failed to comply with the rest-day conditions.