Nomination for 2025 Election Committee Subsector By-elections to begin on July 22
The nomination period for the 2025 Election Committee Subsector (ECSS) By-elections will run from July 22 (Tuesday) until August 4 (Monday).
The By-elections will fill a total of 93 vacancies in the membership of the Election Committee (EC) to be returned by election involving 28 subsectors, while another 10 vacancies involving five subsectors to be returned by nomination will be filled through supplementary nominations by designated bodies (see Annex for details). The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) issued relevant gazette notices and uploaded relevant information to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk) for the By-elections today (July 4). If the number of validly nominated candidates for a subsector exceeds the number of EC members to be elected for that subsector at the By-elections, a poll for that subsector will be held on September 7.
A spokesman for the REO said, "A person nominated as a candidate (a nominated person) must be a registered geographical constituency elector aged 18 or above, who is a registered voter for the relevant subsector or has a substantial connection with that subsector. Details on the eligibility and disqualification in regard to nomination as a candidate and being elected as an EC member, and the requirements to be complied with by persons nominated as candidates, are set out in sections 17, 17A, 18, 18A, 19 and 20 of the Schedule to the Chief Executive Election Ordinance (Cap. 569).
"The nomination form for the By-elections must be subscribed by no fewer than five voters registered for the subsector concerned. Each voter may subscribe multiple nominations regarding a particular subsector but the number of candidates that each voter can nominate should not exceed the number of EC members to be elected by that subsector at the By-elections. In the case of a corporate voter, the subscription of the nomination form may only be effected by the corporate voter's authorised representative," the spokesman said.
The Electoral Affairs Commission has appointed Returning Officers for relevant subsectors to receive nomination forms for their respective subsectors and to handle other electoral matters. The notice for the appointment of Returning Officers, with their office addresses, was also gazetted today and uploaded to the election website.
The nomination forms may be obtained during ordinary business hours from 9am to 5pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9am to noon on Saturdays (except public holidays) beginning today at the two offices of the REO (8/F, Treasury Building, 3 Tonkin Street West, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, and Unit 2301-03, 23/F, Millennium City 6, 392 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon), the offices of the Returning Officers of the relevant subsectors or any of the District Offices. The forms can also be downloaded from the election website.
A nominated person must submit the completed nomination form and an election deposit of $1,000 in person to the respective Returning Officers during the abovementioned ordinary business hours (except public holidays) within the nomination period. The spokesman reminded those nominated persons that they may consider lodging the election deposit by Faster Payment System (FPS), which is newly introduced this year, or by cash and cashier orders as far as possible, to avoid any complications arising from a cheque not being honoured.
"The nominated persons are advised to submit their nomination forms as early as possible to allow time to correct mistakes, if any, in the forms before the nomination deadline," the spokesman said.
Separately, the nominated persons must, in accordance with the requirements by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC), complete and return the Eligibility Review Supplementary Information Form (SIF). The SIF is distributed together with the nomination forms and can be downloaded from the election website. The nominated persons shall put the completed SIF in a separate and sealed envelope and hand it in person together with the nomination form to the office of the Returning Officer within the nomination period for onward transmission to the CERC Secretariat. The nominated persons can also submit the completed SIF to the CERC Secretariat direct as soon as possible but no later than 5pm on August 4 through any of the following means:
email tocerc_secretariat@cerc.gov.hk;
fax to 2505 0673; or
return to the drop-in box of the CERC Secretariat at the entrance on 2/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong.
Copies of the nomination forms of respective subsectors are available for public inspection at the offices of the Returning Officers during ordinary business hours after the start of the nomination period. Members of the public may also inspect copies of all the nomination forms at the REO office in Kwun Tong.
For enquiries, please call the election hotline at 2891 1001.
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
