Update on dengue fever
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (August 15) reported the latest number of dengue fever (DF) cases. The Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui,reminded the public that due to the increase in temperature and rainfall in summer, mosquito infestation might be aggravated in Hong Kong. In addition, members of the public will travel to DF-endemic regions more frequently during the summer holiday. Therefore, the risk of DF in Hong Kong is increasing.
From August 8 to yesterday (August 14), the CHP recorded two imported DF cases. The patients had travelled to Cambodia and India during the incubation periods respectively.
As of yesterday, 41 imported DF cases have been recorded so far this year. A total of 161 cases of DF were recorded in 2024, including 156 imported and five local cases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global incidence of DF has markedly increased over the past two decades, posing a substantial public health challenge. In 2023, over 6.5 million cases and more than 7 300 dengue-related deaths were reported in over 80 countries/territories. In 2024, the WHO recorded over 14 million cases, which was a record number.
DF is prevalent in many neighbouring tourist destinations. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam have each recorded over 20 000 cases so far this year. Singapore has also recorded over 3 000 cases.Meanwhile, according to the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangdong Province has recorded a total of 586 locally infected cases so far this year. A total of 121 cases were recorded in the week between August 4 and 10, with the highest number of cases recorded in Guangzhou, Foshan, Chaozhou and Shenzhen.
Detailed information on the latest DF situation in Hong Kong, as well as neighbouring and overseas countries and areas, has been uploaded to the CHPwebsite.
"There have been frequent imported cases of DF in Hong Kong, as well as occasional sporadic local cases every year. The presence of Aedes albopictus in Hong Kong makes our population vulnerable. Mosquitoes breed quickly during the hot and rainy summer months. There are risks of DF outbreaks if mosquito control is inadequate. Hence, mosquito control is of paramount importance. Members of the public are advised to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and when travelling outside of Hong Kong. The public is reminded that eliminating mosquito breeding sites and avoiding mosquito bites are key to preventing DF. Those returning from areas affected by DF should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. If feeling unwell, they should seek medical advice promptly and provide their travel details to a doctor," Dr Tsui added.
Members of the public are also reminded to take heed of the following advice on mosquito control:
Thoroughly check all gully traps, roof gutters, surface channels and drains to prevent blockage;
Scrub and clean drains and surface channels with an alkaline detergent compound at least once a week to remove any deposited mosquito eggs;
Properly dispose of refuse, such as soft drink cans, empty bottles and boxes, in covered litter containers;
Completely change the water of flowers and plants at least once a week. The use of saucers should be avoided if possible;
Level irregular ground surfaces before the rainy season;
Avoid staying in shrubby areas; and
Take personal protective measures such as wearing light-coloured long-sleeved clothes and trousers, and apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothing or uncovered areas of the body when doing outdoor activities.
DEET-containing insect repellents are effective and the public should take heed of the tips below:
Read the label instructions carefully first;
Apply right before entering an area with 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, picaridin etc. When using any insect repellent, the public should follow the usage instructions and precautions on the product label.
The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems and may visit the following pages for more information: the DF page of theCHPand theTravel Health Service, the latestTravel Health News,tips for using insect repellents, and the CHPFacebook PageandYouTube Channel.
Source: AI-found images
Government announces updates on follow-up work on Tai Po fire
The three task forces set up by the Government for the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po - the Task Force on Investigation and Regulation, the Task Force on Emergency Support and Fund-Raising, and the Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements - are making full efforts to follow up on the support, relief, and investigation work related to the incident. Details are as follows:
Financial and welfare support
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For the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, established by the Government, donations received are about $3 billion as of noon today (December 8). In addition to the start-up capital of $300 million from the Government, the fund's total has now reached around $3.3 billion. The fund will be used to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and providing long-term and sustained support.
The Government earlier announced that the Support Fund will provide a living allowance to each affected household. As of today, 1 357 cases have been processed. The living allowance is increased from $50,000 to $100,000 and will be disbursed in phases. In addition, the Support Fund will provide families of each deceased victim with a token of solidarity of $200,000, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, a total of 95 cases have been processed.
In addition, the Government has so far disbursed an emergency subsidy of $10,000 to 1 932 households, and the relevant disbursement is largely complete.
Social workers from the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have been in contact with more than 1 970 affected households, and more than 4 900 residents have been registered for the "one social worker per household" follow-up service. SWD staff also paid visits to the affected residents staying in transitional housing units in Yuen Long today and distributed Octopus cards with a face value of $2,000 to facilitate their daily travels and address their imminent needs. The SWD will maintain liaison with the affected households to provide all necessary assistance while fully supporting the relief work of the Government. Those not yet in touch with the SWD are advised to leave their contact information by calling 182 183 as soon as possible.
Accommodation support
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As of this morning, a total of 1 422 residents have been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 2 522 residents are currently living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or units from the Hong Kong Housing Society. Moreover, the Tai Po District Office continues to operate a temporary shelter at Tai Po Community Centre, which remains open to residents in need. The other temporary shelter at Tung Cheong Street Community Hall will remain in operation until the existing users have relocated to arranged emergency accommodations.
Relief supplies and donations
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The supplies donation online platform, established by the Government and the information technology sector, continues to operate, facilitating the registration of supplies donations from organisations and the public. The Government has so far received over 1 600 registrations, of which approximately 30 per cent were submitted by organisations, whereas the others were contributed by the public. The various registered donation items include food and beverages, clothing, daily necessities, bedding, and electrical appliances. The Government is actively assessing residents' actual needs through the relevant policy bureau, government departments, and service organisations for the matching of donated supplies in order to distribute appropriate items in phases to places in need. So far, over 5 700 pieces of donation items covering various categories have been distributed to different places. The matching and distribution of supplies will continue.
Handling of reported missing persons
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Officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit continued to search the area around the buildings and near the collapsed scaffolding today, which had been confirmed as safe. No human remains were found, and the number of deceased remains at 159. The Police have contacted the families of the missing persons and those who have preliminarily identified the deceased through photographs to arrange for them to undergo DNA oral swab sampling in batches starting today for scientific identification of the deceased.
Regulation and inspection work
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The emergency maintenance contractors co-ordinated by the Housing Department have completed the clearance of the miscellaneous items at the surroundings of the buildings at Wang Fuk Court today. The Independent Checking Unit (ICU) of the Housing Bureau also continued to extract concrete core samples from the affected buildings today. So far, five buildings have been covered.
The ICU has conducted inspections on the scaffoldings of the four Home Ownership Scheme courts, namely Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, On Kay Court in Kwun Tong, Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin and Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po, as well as Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan under the Tenants Purchase Scheme. Miscellaneous items were found on some scaffoldings. The contractor is removing the items. The ICU will closely monitor the progress.
Regarding the order to remove scaffold nets issued by the Buildings Department (BD), as of 5pm today, 227 private buildings have had their scaffold nets removed from the external walls (including two cases completed by government contractors). Work on the remaining three cases, in which the BD has accepted an extension of time, is underway and is expected to finish within this week.
The BD is striving to announce a new set of arrangements within this week that will require scaffold nets used at construction sites to be sampled on-site and certified as compliant with the relevant standards prior to installation, so that the relevant external wall work can resume as soon as possible.
The Labour Department (LD) continues to inspect fire protection facilities and the fire emergency preparedness of building maintenance work sites with large-scale scaffolding to ensure the occupational safety of workers. As of 4pm today, the LD has inspected 351 construction sites, issued a total of 180 written warnings and 96 improvement notices, and has taken out 25 prosecutions.
Source: AI-found images
