Home and Youth Affairs Bureau announces selection results for second-term District Services and Community Care Teams
The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau today (September 30) announced that the Home Affairs Department (HAD), together with its 18 District Offices, has completed the selection of the second-term District Services and Community Care Teams. The list of selected operating organisations of 455 Care Teams in 18 districts is set out in the Annex.
To ensure service continuity and leverage the established service networks from the first term, District Offices first invited the current operating organisations to consider continuing their services. For the three new sub-districts and individual organisations that were unable to continue their services for various reasons, District Offices invited the previously shortlisted organisations to submit proposed service plans. The selection was conducted through a two-tiered structure: initial reviews were conducted by the District Assessment and Coordinating Panels on Care Teams chaired by the District Officers, and the results of the initial reviews were submitted to the Territory-wide Assessment and Steering Group on Care Teams chaired by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs for approval.
Eighteen District Offices will enter into funding agreements with the selected organisations based on the accepted service plans. The second-term service of Care Teams will run until September 30, 2027.
The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, said, "The services provided by the first-term Care Teams had won wide acclaim from the public. I hope that the second-term Care Teams will continue to leverage the experience gained from the first term and build on the established local networks to provide more in-depth and better caring services to enhance people's sense of satisfaction and well-being."
By consolidating community resources, Care Teams provide diversified caring and support services to enhance people's sense of fulfilment, while continuously strengthening collaboration with the District Councils and the "three district committees" to serve the people. By the end of this August, Care Teams had visited some 580 000 elderly households and other households in need, provided about 89 000 instances of basic home or other support services, and organised some 45 000 district activities. In time of emergencies and incidents, Care Teams swiftly mobilise their members and volunteers to attend to the needs of affected individuals and provide them with timely assistance.
All Care Teams have met, or even surpassed, the service requirements in accordance with the key performance indicators in their first-term service. The HAD and District Offices will consolidate the reports of the Care Teams in the first term and let the public know their achievements.
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Update on chikungunya fever
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced that, as of 5pm today (January 15), 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 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 the CHP and the Travel Health Service, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, and the CHP Facebook Page, Instagram Account and YouTube Channel, and also the Mosquito Prevention and Control dedicated page of the FEHD.
Source: AI-created image
