A total of 360 retail outlets have passed hygiene requirements and can sell live chickens according to Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Alice Lau.

After a 21-day ban following the discovery of the bird flu virus at some local wet markets, imports and sales of live chicken have resumed today.

Lau said the 360 approved retailers, who underwent veterinary inspections, make up 77 per cent of the 469 total in Hong Kong.

Among the 360 outlets, 248 are market stalls and the rest are fresh provision stalls.

Of the 64 public market stalls, 60 have passed hygiene check and the inspections are continuing for the remaining market stalls.

Meanwhile, the new law on daily clearance of live chickens is effective starting today.

Under the new law, live chicken are banned at retail outlets between 8pm and 5am. Stall owners have to cull all unsold live chicken before 8pm and clean their stalls.

Officers will inspect retail outlets twice a day to make sure stall owners abide by the new law, according to Lau.