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 $3.4 billion as of noon today (December 15). With the start-up capital of $300 million from the Government, the fund's total has now reached around $3.7 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 a living allowance from the Support Fund will be provided to each affected household, and the amount has been increased from $50,000 to $100,000. As of today, 1 883 cases have been processed. In addition, the Government 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 130 cases have been processed. The allowance will be disbursed in phases.
Social workers from the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have been in contact with more than 1 980 affected households, providing the "one social worker per household" follow-up service to more than 4 900 residents. The SWD will maintain liaison with the affected households to provide all necessary assistance while fully supporting the relief work of the Government.
In addition, the Government also provides support and assistance to foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) affected by the fire. The Labour Department has been maintaining close liaison with the Consulates-General of the Philippines and Indonesia in Hong Kong to co-ordinate and follow up on the relevant work. Besides providing tokens of solidarity of $200,000 and funeral grants of $50,000 to families of each deceased FDH, as well as injury grants of $50,000 or $100,000 to injured FDHs, the Government has disbursed a special subsidy of $20,000 to 110 FDHs employed at Wang Fuk Court.
Meanwhile, the Immigration Department (ImmD) has made special arrangements for FDHs whose employers are unable to continue their employment contracts due to the fire. Under these arrangements, affected FDHs are allowed to remain in Hong Kong for three months as visitors to seek new employers (extendable if necessary), without having to return to their places of origin first. The ImmD will also waive the relevant fees for their extension of stay.
Accommodation support
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As of this morning, a total of 1 336 residents have been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 3 247 residents are currently living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau, units from the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS), or Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun.
Currently, there is still an abundant supply of more than 1000 units that can provide affected residents with longer term accommodation. The transitional housing and HKHS projects in different districts can altogether provide around 400 units at the moment. Besides, Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun and Runway 1331 at Kai Tak can provide a supply of around 900 units.
In consideration of the extremely urgent situation of the residents affected by the fire incident, a special arrangement of a full rent exemption has been made earlier by the Housing Bureau to provide accommodation support to those affected residents moving into transitional housing or HKHS projects. In other words, if needed, the affected residents can stay for a longer period of time. The Government will continue to support the affected residents in terms of accommodation, and the residents in need do not have to worry about the relevant rental expenses or the duration of stay.
In addition, staff from the operating organisations of transitional housing and HKHS, as well as volunteers have been working around the clock to furnish the units with essential supplies, striving to meet the needs of the residents. All the currently available units in transitional housing and HKHS projects are equipped with furniture and appliances such as bed frames, mattresses, induction cookers and water heaters, etc, enabling the residents to settle in comfortably. At the same time, a number of organisations have proactively stationed their staff in some projects to provide residents in need with various forms of support. Taking T-Loft@Kai Tak in Kai Tak and T-Loft@Lok Wo in Ma On Shan as examples, the operators have not only arranged social workers to provide emotional support and assist with daily needs for the affected residents, but also set up dedicated emotional support stations within these projects. Volunteers were organised to serve on shifts, providing ongoing companionship and care to the affected residents, standing with them through the difficult time.
Relief supplies and donations
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Thesupplies 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 1 800 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, about 23 000 donation items covering various categories have been distributed to different places. The matching and distribution of supplies will continue.
Regulation and inspection work
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The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced on December 11 a new mechanism for sampling and testing scaffold nets for external walls in Hong Kong. The DEVB is moving ahead in full steam the supporting arrangements to ensure that there are sufficient designated laboratories and a suitable site for off-site sampling work.
Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Photo by Bastille Post
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (May 21) released the fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in May, covering 12 survey areas, as follows:
District |
Survey Area |
May 2026 |
First Phase Gravidtrap Index |
First Phase Density Index |
Eastern |
Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho |
9.1% |
1.4 |
Islands |
Tung Chung |
2.0% |
1.0 |
Kowloon City |
Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan |
6.7% |
1.5 |
Tai Po |
Tai Po East |
2.2% |
2.0 |
Tai Po West |
15.5% |
1.0 |
Tuen Mun |
Tuen Mun South |
9.1% |
1.4 |
District |
Survey Area |
May 2026 |
Area Gravidtrap Index |
Area Density Index |
Central and Western |
Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui |
16.8% |
1.3 |
Eastern |
Chai Wan |
15.4% |
1.0 |
North Point and Quarry Bay |
18.9% |
1.4 |
Southern |
Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau |
20.8% |
1.7 |
Sha Tin |
Sha Tin Town Centre and Fo Tan |
18.3% |
1.4 |
Tsuen Wan |
Tsuen Wan Town |
6.9% |
2.3 |
The fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May includes First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas. Among which, six survey areas recorded gravidtrap indexes above 10 per cent, while Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau in Southern District recorded a gravidtrap index above 20 per cent. Meanwhile, the gravidtrap indexes of six survey areas, namely Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui in Central and Western District; North Point and Quarry Bay in Eastern District; Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho in Eastern District; Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau in Southern District; Tai Po East in Tai Po District; and Tuen Mun South in Tuen Mun District, have recorded a decrease as compared to the indexes recorded in the last survey period, reflecting the progress of relevant mosquito control work.
With reference to the data from the past few years, the gravidtrap indexes start to rise from April or May every year. The actual timing and extent of the rise are affected by factors like weather conditions and rainfall. The average temperature and rainfall recorded in April this year were higher than those in the same period last year, creating favourable conditions for mosquito growth and breeding. As a result, the rise in gravidtrap indexes occurred earlier this year. With the increase in rainfall in May, the gravidtrap indexes are expected to rise further.
For survey areas which recorded indexes exceeding 10 per cent, in accordance with the mechanism implemented by the FEHD in response to the chikungunya fever (CF) situation (i.e. strengthening mosquito control work in areas with a gravidtrap index between 10 per cent and 20 per cent, instead of 20 per cent or above under the original mechanism), the FEHD is collaborating with relevant departments and stakeholders to identify locations with high mosquito infestations and carry out intensive and targeted mosquito control measures. The FEHD has initiated two prosecutions against the relevant construction site contractors following the discovery of mosquito breeding at construction sites in Tai Po District and Southern District. Moreover, following the discovery of stagnant water or stagnant water containers in a park, a construction site, a private housing estate, a clinic and a private premises in Tai Po District, Central and Western District, as well as Southern District, the FEHD has issued five statutory notices to the responsible persons-in-charge, requiring the clearance of such items within a specified timeframe. The FEHD, the relevant departments and stakeholders are following up on the mosquito control work, and will also organise exhibitions, distribute leaflets and posters, and notify residential estates that have subscribed to the gravidtrap Rapid Alert System, advising property management agents and residents to stay vigilant and work together in taking mosquito prevention and elimination measures. In addition, the FEHD will strengthen the monitoring of the gravidtrap index in the areas to review the effectiveness of the mosquito control work.
Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:
tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside the premises;
remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;
check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;
change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week;
properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water;
properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and
scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of CF transmission.
Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department's webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
