Remarks at media session after LegCo Ante Chamber exchange session (with photos/video)
TheDeputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, together with the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; and the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, met the media after attending the Ante Chamber exchange session at the Legislative Council this morning (January 8). Following are the remarks:
Reporter: What are the concerns about the Tourism Blueprint inside in today's meeting? And you have mentioned that you may impose some KPIs for cruise terminal operator. Will it deter other potential bidders, or kind of mount pressure for the current operator, and make the future tender difficult? Because if you are raising the bar and the market does not improve, it may be quite a high pressure.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism: First of all, I thanked the Legislative Council and all the members that attended today. They expressed support and gave a lot of very valuable opinions and suggestions about the tourism blueprint 2.0 (Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0). Specifically regarding the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, I always expect the operator to do better. There is no best situation; there is only better operation. So this is my constant expectation. And in the new tendering exercise, of course we will be reviewing the criteria imposed so far. After all the cruise terminal has been in operation for more than 10 years, and the same operator has been operating the terminal, I know that society and of course myself and my colleagues in the CSTB (Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau) have different views on the operation of the cruise terminal and how it might be improved. This morning, members of the Legislative Council also gave us very valuable suggestions on how things it might be improved. So all these will be taken into account in the new tendering exercise.
Reporter: What other challenges were posed, or what else was talked about regarding the Tourism Blueprint? In terms of sports, what is the next step in terms of sports development?
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism: For the tourism blueprint, I think this morning I heard suggestions or views regarding the Kai Tak Sports Park, the operation and how to utilise it to become a world-class location for mega events, the improvement of the operation of the cruise terminal, how to utilise our beautiful shoreline and island resources in a forwarding tourism, also the promotion of Hong Kong's tourism development, and also how to develop more hot spots for tourism all around Hong Kong. Regarding sports, I think a lot of concerns of course relate to how we can better utilise Hong Kong's position as the mega-event capital and also how we can present an attractive National Games in November of this year. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Remarks at media session after LegCo Ante Chamber exchange session Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Remarks at media session after LegCo Ante Chamber exchange session Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Update on chikungunya fever
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced that, as of 5pm today (January 11), no new cases of chikungunya fever (CF) had been recorded.
Latest surveillance data
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Hong Kong has recorded a total of 82 confirmed CF cases last year. Among them, 11 were local cases, and the rest were imported cases.
Since the beginning of 2025, and as of December 10, 2025, a total of 502 264 CF cases and 186 CF-related deaths have been reported in over 40 countries/territories. Cases have been reported in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Although the northern hemisphere has entered the winter season, temperatures in subtropical and some temperate regions remain elevated due to climate change, creating favourable conditions for mosquito breeding. In addition, CF outbreaks continue to occur in many countries worldwide. The risk of imported cases persists. Members of the public should check the situation of the destinations before travelling abroad, especially when travelling to Southeast Asian countries.
Government's comprehensive follow-up actions
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Given that some local cases of CF have visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails or the surrounding area in November last year, the trails are currently closed until further notice. Relevant government departments continue to conduct large-scale mosquito control and prevention efforts along the trails, and the CHP appeals to the public not to enter the area in order to reduce the risk of contracting CF and to avoid exposure to chemicals or interfering with the mosquito control operations. Since the confirmation on December 10, 2025, of a case involving a person who had visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails on November 30, 2025, no further local cases have been recorded to date. The CHP continues to urge individuals who have recently hiked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails to seek medical attention as soon as possible if they develop relevant symptoms and to call the enquiry hotline (Tel: 2125 2373), which operates from 9am to 6pm.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has been continuously conducting intensive fogging operations to eliminate adult mosquitoes along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails and the surrounding area. At suitable locations, large ultra-low volume foggers have been deployed, and a robot dog is being put on trial to enhance operational effectiveness. The FEHD has also set up new mosquito trapping devices, cleared discarded containers and garbage that could cause stagnant water, and applied larvicide oil or larvicides in areas with stagnant water that cannot be removed immediately. The FEHD has been collaborating with the Kwai Tsing District Office, the Lands Department and the Drainage Services Department to strengthen efforts in eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. Pamphlets have been distributed to hikers in the area, urging citizens to be vigilant against mosquito infestations and take personal protective measures. The FEHD has also held meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work across districts to discuss the latest developments regarding the situation and plan accordingly to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders in strengthening mosquito prevention and control measures in areas under their purview.
Continuously strengthening prevention and control
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The FEHD and relevant departments have comprehensively enhanced the mosquito control operations in Hong Kong since July last year, and this has continued. Among these, the FEHD has conducted vector investigations and targeted mosquito control operations against the imported and local cases. In light of the local case, the FEHD has immediately conducted follow-up actions, including:
carrying out intensive fogging in scrubby areas within a 250-metre radius of the relevant locations to kill adult mosquitoes;
carrying out inspections of the locations, removing stagnant water, applying insecticides and disposing of abandoned water containers every week with a view to preventing mosquito breeding; and
enhancing public education efforts through organising health talks, setting up mobile education stations, and distributing publicity leaflets.
The abovementioned measures will be continued. Furthermore, the Government will further enhance the mosquito control efforts in addition to the existing measures.
Preventive measures to be taken by the public
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Members of the public should use DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients properly to prevent mosquito bites, but the following precautions should be taken when using them:
read the label instructions carefully first;
apply right before entering an area with a risk of mosquito bites;
apply on exposed skin and clothing;
use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children (for children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent);
apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent;
reapply only when needed and follow the instructions; and
in addition to DEET, there are other insect repellents available on the market containing different active ingredients, such as IR3535 and picaridin. When using any insect repellent, the public should follow the usage instructions and precautions on the product label.
The FEHD also appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as empty cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and property management agencies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems, and may visit the following pages for more information: the CF page of theCHPand theTravel Health Service, the latestTravel Health News,tips for using insect repellents, and the CHPFacebook Page,Instagram AccountandYouTube Channel, and also theMosquito Prevention and Control dedicated pageof the FEHD.
Source: AI-found images
