Update on chikungunya fever
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced that as of 5pm today (October 14), two new cases of chikungunya fever (CF) had been recorded.
Latest case information
The first case involves a 28-year-old male living in Kowloon City District. A preliminary investigation revealed that he visited Zhongshan in Guangdong between October 6 and 9. He developed joint pain on October 12 and a fever on the following day (October 13). He sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of Kwong Wah Hospital and was admitted for treatment in a mosquito-free environment on the same day. He is now in stable condition. His blood sample tested positive for the CF virus upon laboratory testing.
The patient has one household contact, who visited Zhongshan around the same time. His household contact is currently asymptomatic and under medical surveillance.
The other case involves a 47-year-old male living in Kowloon City District. A preliminary investigation revealed that he visited Jiangmen in Guangdong alone between October 5 and 7. He developed a fever, rash and joint pain on October 13. He sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of Kwong Wah Hospital and was admitted for treatment in a mosquito-free environment on the same day. He is now in stable condition. His blood sample tested positive for the CF virus upon laboratory testing.
The patient has one household contact, who is currently asymptomatic and under medical surveillance.
Since the two patients stayed in Guangdong Province during their incubation periods, the CHP considered that they were infected during travel. The cases were classified as imported. The CHP's epidemiological investigation is ongoing, and it has reported the cases to the health authority of Guangdong Province.
Latest surveillance data
So far this year, Hong Kong has recorded a total of 35 confirmed CF cases. All are imported cases. From 2016 to 2019, Hong Kong recorded between one and 11 imported cases annually.
According to information from the Guangdong Provincial Disease Control and Prevention Administration, there were 2 257 new CF cases in Guangdong last week (October 5 to 11), showing a decrease compared to the previous two weeks, which reported 3 181 cases (September 28 to October 4) and 3 153 cases (September 21 to 27) respectively. Most of the cases (1 255 cases) were recorded in Jiangmen last week, followed by Guangzhou (201 cases) and Foshan (196 cases). All cases were mild, with no severe or fatal cases reported. Although the number of CF cases in Jiangmen has fluctuated downward recently, the level remained relatively high.
Since the beginning of 2025, and as of September 30, a total of 445 271 suspected and confirmed CF cases and 155 CF-related deaths have been reported in 40 countries/territories. Cases have been reported in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. CF outbreaks currently occur in many countries worldwide. Members of the public should check the situation of the destinations before travelling abroad.
Continuously strengthening prevention and control
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) continues to conduct vector investigations and targeted mosquito control operations, and intensify mosquito prevention and control measures at the residences of recently confirmed patients, as well as at locations visited after the onset of symptoms. These measures include:
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 CHP urged schools to follow the FEHD's anti-mosquito guidelines to strengthen efforts to clear stagnant water on school premises and eliminate mosquito breeding sites. It is also imperative to remind staff members and students to consistently implement mosquito prevention and personal protective measures to guard against the spread of mosquito-borne diseases within school premises.
Additionally, the CHP's Port Health Division continues to step up inspections at boundary control points and remind cross-boundary public transport operators and other relevant parties to ensure good environmental hygiene and effective implementation of anti-mosquito measures. Furthermore, staff members of the Port Health Division distribute leaflets to travellers, conduct temperature screenings for inbound travellers, conduct health assessments for travellers with fever or related symptoms and refer them to hospitals for follow-ups when necessary.
Proper use of DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients can 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 soft drink cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and estate management bodies 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 call1823in 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
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 1pm today (December 7). 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, 1 273 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 90 cases have been processed.
In addition, the Government has so far disbursed an emergency subsidy of $10,000 to 1 931 households.
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. 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 1 408 residents have been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 2 702 residents have moved into 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 about 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 to places in need in phases. So far, over 4 800 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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The Police have completed searches inside all seven buildings. Officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) 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 the deceased remains at 159. The Police are contacting 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 tomorrow (December 8) for scientific identification of the deceased.
Investigations
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The Fire Services Department officers assisted the DVIU in removing accumulated water from the elevator shafts of Wang Kin House, Wang Tai House, Wang Cheong House and Wang Shing House to facilitate the search operations.
Regulation and inspection work
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The emergency maintenance contractors co-ordinated by the Housing Department have largely completed the clearance of miscellaneous items at the surroundings of the buildings at Wang Fuk Court today. With the protective nets removed from 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, the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) of the Housing Bureau has requested registered inspectors to arrange for contractors to check on the conditions of the scaffoldings and remove waste and miscellaneous items to ensure safety on-site. The ICU will continue to conduct inspections and monitor the situations.
Regarding the order to remove scaffold nets issued by the Buildings Department (BD), as of 6pm today, 224 private buildings have had their scaffold nets removed from the external walls. Four cases undergoing removal work have requested an extension of time, and the BD has accepted their applications. It is expected that the work will be finished within this week. The removal work of scaffold nets from the remaining two private buildings has been affected by ongoing contractual disputes between the contractors and the incorporated owners (the disputes existed prior to the Tai Po fire). The BD has arranged for government contractors to carry out the work and will recover the costs later. In addition, the Architectural Services Department has completed the removal of scaffold nets at the government buildings under its purview before the deadline.
The BD strives to announce a new set of arrangements within this week requiring the 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 5 000 training places of Multi-skilled/Skill Enhancement courses reserved by the Construction Industry Council for workers affected by the suspension of repair work on external walls (trades including plumbing, window framing, painting and decoration, plastering, and bamboo scaffolding) will be open for application tomorrow. The courses are tuition-free. Depending on the specific trade courses and training hours, workers who complete the training and obtain qualifications can receive a maximum subsidy ranging from $14,000 to $19,000.
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 332 construction sites, issued a total of 170 written warnings and 95 improvement notices, and taken out 25 prosecutions.
Source: AI-found images
