Local pig samples test positive for African Swine Fever virus
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (December 17) announced that samples taken from a licensed pig farm in Yuen Long had tested positive for the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus.
An AFCD spokesman said, "Four pig samples were taken from a licensed pig farm in Lau Fau Shan, Yuen Long, yesterday (December 16). Upon testing by AFCD staff, all the samples were found positive for the ASF virus. The AFCD has immediately suspended transportation of any pigs from the farm concerned until further notice according to the contingency plan on ASF. The AFCD is arranging culling of pigs, for the sake of prudence."
He further said, "Positive cases should be seriously and promptly handled as the effect of ASF is very lethal to pigs. If the spread is not contained, a large number of pigs will die, hence seriously impacting pig farmers and the pig rearing industry. AFCD staff immediately notified all local pig farmers of this incident and reminded them to alert the AFCD immediately if abnormal health conditions are observed in pigs. In addition, the AFCD is arranging staff to inspect the one operating pig farm within 3 kilometres of the index farm and collect pig samples for ASF testing. For the sake of prudence, the AFCD has suspended movements of pigs on this pig farm until further notice. No reports of abnormalities from pig farms outside the 3km zone have been received so far. AFCD staff are continuing close surveillance to detect pigs with abnormalities and if a farm is infected as early as possible. Surveillance of the activities of nearby wild pigs of the index farm will also be stepped up. Moreover, the AFCD is maintaining close contact with pig farmers via text message groups, keeping them informed of the latest situation of ASF and ways to prevent the infection of pigs."
The spokesman stressed that ASF is not a zoonotic disease and will not infect humans; hence, it does not cause any human health and food safety risks. Regardless of whether the pigs are infected with ASF, pork cooked thoroughly is safe for consumption. Members of the public do not need to be concerned. The AFCD held a seminar for pig farmers on specific preventive measures and biosecurity advice against ASF last month, with a view to enhancing vigilance of the industry in prevention of ASF. Meanwhile, in order to strengthen the knowledge of local pig farmers of the clinical signs of ASF for early detection and reporting of abnormalities of pigs, the AFCD has launched the Guidelines for Reporting Cases of African Swine Fever to assist pig farmers in identifying suspected cases for early reporting and appropriate follow-up.
The present case does not affect the operation of local slaughterhouses nor the overall supply of live pigs. Since June 2019, a daily clearance arrangement whereby live pigs will be slaughtered within 24 hours upon admittance has been imposed in Sheung Shui and Tsuen Wan slaughterhouses. Under the arrangement, lairages in different areas of the slaughterhouses will be cleared out and undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection every day to further enhance biosecurity and minimise the risk of infection among pigs in the slaughterhouses.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the AFCD will continue to stringently conduct cleaning and disinfection of Mainland live pig transportation vehicles and their counterparts for local pigs at slaughterhouses to minimise the risk of cross-infection of ASF. Mainland live pig vehicles and local ones should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected every time they leave the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse (SSSH), and the respective designated positions for their cleaning and disinfection are separated. Manpower and equipment of the SSSH have been strengthened immediately for cleaning and disinfection of the vehicles. In light of these stepped-up measures, the slaughterhouses need not be closed and other pigs need not be culled.
As culling operation takes time, the AFCD will release updated operation information every day later on the departmental webpage,www.afcd.gov.hk, for the public.
Source: AI-found images
CS chairs interdepartmental working group meeting on festival arrangements
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (December 17) chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements to holistically co-ordinate and steer the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the New Year's Eve and New Year holiday. The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, and representatives from other relevant government departments also attended.
Mr Chan said, "A series of events will be held in Hong Kong during the New Year's Eve and New Year holiday, and the New Year day also marks the start of a three-day long holiday on the Mainland. A notable increase in the number of visitors during the period is expected. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will make good preparations for receiving visitors, including actively co-ordinating the ancillary arrangements of boundary control points (BCPs) and transportation, as well as maintaining close liaison with relevant organisations and the travel trade to ensure effective crowd management, information dissemination, and arrangements of public transportation and BCPs, with a view to ensuring the smooth operation of various aspects of receiving visitors and offering them a high-quality experience."
New Year's Eve countdown arrangements
The New Year's Eve countdown event this year will forgo the fireworks display and take place in an alternative format to welcome the New Year together with the public and visitors. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will separately announce the detailed arrangements for the countdown event.
Special boundary-crossing and corresponding public transport service arrangements
In view of a series of New Year's Eve countdown events, the HKSAR Government has discussed with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to extend the service hours of BCPs on New Year's Eve. The Mainland port authorities have duly reported to the national port authorities for approval according to the required procedures. Further details will be announced as soon as possible. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge BCP and the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang BCP will maintain 24-hour operation as usual on New Year's Eve.
Relevant departments have minimised leave for frontline officers to enable flexible deployment of manpower and operation of additional counters, temporary counters and channels, with a view to diverting passenger and vehicular flow. The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), and other relevant departments will be activated from December 31, 2025 to January 4, 2026, to monitor the real-time situation at various control points. The Joint Command Centre will maintain close liaison with the Mainland port authorities through the established port hotlines and real-time notification mechanism, and take timely contingency actions as necessary to flexibly deploy manpower at the BCPs to ensure smooth operation of the land control points.
The Security Bureau will also activate the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre from December 31, 2025 to January 4, 2026 to closely monitor and co-ordinate public order at various BCPs and facilitate inter-departmental follow-up actions where necessary to respond promptly to various kinds of emergencies.
For public transport arrangements, the Transport Department (TD) has proactively approached various public transport operators to enhance their capacity during the holiday. The MTR Corporation Limited will cater for the arrangements of the Lo Wu BCP to extend services of the East Rail Line to and from MTR Lo Wu Station correspondingly, and the majority of MTR railway lines will operate overnight on New Year's Eve. Furthermore, bus routes will be arranged between MTR Sheung Shui Station and San Tin Yellow Bus Station to facilitate passengers using the East Rail Line in crossing the boundary via the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang BCP, which operates round-the-clock, after the end of services to Lo Wu. The TD will also cater for the arrangements of BCPs to enhance cross-boundary transportation services connecting various BCPs, including increasing the frequency of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) shuttle bus (Gold Bus), the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) and cross-boundary coach. Local public transport and cross-boundary coach services at countdown or other large-scale events will be strengthened upon event conclusion to accommodate the travel needs of departing residents and visitors, and the TD will formulate a contingency plan by establishing a dedicated passage at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge BCP, the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang BCP, and the Shenzhen Bay BCP etc. when necessary, to ensure the smooth operation of public transport services. Various public transport operators will reserve sufficient vehicles and manpower to meet the travel needs of visitors.
The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre (ETCC) of the TD will operate 24 hours a day, closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services in all districts, BCPs, and major stations across Hong Kong, take prompt measures to address service demands, and disseminate the latest traffic updates through various channels.
Crowd management and special traffic arrangements
The Police will arrange sufficient manpower to implement corresponding crowd management measures and special traffic arrangements as necessary to ensure that all events will be conducted in a safe and orderly manner. Various district offices will closely monitor the flow of visitors in their respective areas, and report to relevant departments having regard to the actual circumstances to strengthen management arrangements of the relevant spots. Major tourist attractions have formulated special arrangements to handle the estimated increase of people flows.
In view of the potential notable increase in the number of tourists visiting Sai Kung High Island Reservoir East Dam during the New Year's Eve and New Year holiday, the Police have taken targeted measures, including deploying uniformed officers at strategic locations at Pak Tam Chung, Man Yee Road and East Dam, for traffic and crowd management during peak tourist arrival and departure periods. To cater for the needs of passengers travelling to Sai Kung High Island Reservoir East Dam, the TD has co-ordinated with the operator to enhance the service of GMB Route No. 9A (Pak Tam Chung - the East Dam) subject to passenger demand. Service frequencies will be flexibly strengthened in co-ordination with the traffic control measures implemented by the Police to ease passenger waiting times.
Management of tour groups and protection of visitors
For management of tour groups, the Travel Industry Authority (TIA) has reminded travel agents receiving Mainland inbound tour groups to stagger arrival times as far as possible, and will co-ordinate with various parties to adopt appropriate diversion measures in tourist attractions to enable proper management of visitor flows and tour buses, with a view to offering a pleasant travel experience to visitors. The TIA will also conduct inspections in districts where relatively more registered shops for inbound tour groups are located, and offer assistance to visitors and tourist guides to protect inbound tour group visitors' rights. Additionally, the Police will continue to step up enforcement actions against the illegal acts of taxi drivers, including overcharging and refusing hire. The C&ED will also step up the inspection of shops serving visitors to combat unfair trade practices.
Weather forecast
As winter sets in, Hong Kong occasionally experiences temperature drops due to the influence of winter monsoons, but the chances of being affected by severe weather such as heavy rain or tropical cyclones are relatively low. The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) will release relevant weather information as early as possible. Travellers are advised to check the HKO's nine-day weather forecast and the latest weather warnings before travelling.
Information dissemination
To assist visitors in planning their itineraries, the interdepartmental working group will strengthen information dissemination, including the latest inbound visitor arrivals, the situation at various BCPs, information on events, transport arrangements, and the latest weather forecast, to enable residents and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.
The HKTB has listed festive event arrangements for the Christmas and New Year holiday on its dedicated webpage. Before the New Year holiday, the HKTB will provide the waiting time at major attractions in Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park Hong Kong, the Peak Tram, Ngong Ping 360, and Hong Kong Observation Wheel, as well as the Star Ferry, a popular choice for many visitors, on their webpage to help the local public and visitors plan their itineraries.
Residents and visitors may also visit "Easy Boundary" (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound), a one-stop information platform on immigration clearance launched by the Security Bureau, to obtain useful information in one go, including the respective average waiting time for passengers and private cars at land BCPs, as well as for the Gold Bus and Yellow Bus to plan their trips and save waiting time.
CS chairs interdepartmental working group meeting on festival arrangements Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CS chairs interdepartmental working group meeting on festival arrangements Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
