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Postal services to Portugal return to normal
Hongkong Post announced today (February 24) that, as advised by the postal administration of Portugal, mail delivery services previously affected by severe weather have returned to normal.
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Home Affairs Department releases Work Reports of first-term District Services and Community Care Teams
The Home Affairs Department today (February 24) released the Work Reports of the 2023 to 2025 District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams), so as to allow the public to better understand the services of the first-term Care Teams.
The first-term Care Teams have fully met their service targets, while teams have even over-achieved key performance indicators (KPIs). The first-term services were completed in October 2025. Over the two-year period, Care Teams have made around 610 000 visits to elderly households and other households in need, provided around 100 000 instances of basic home or other support services, and organised around 50 000 district activities. The Work Reports cover the various services and activities provided by Care Teams from 2023 to 2025, including visits to elderly households and other households in need, assistance in handling emergencies and incidents, support for government information dissemination, and organisation of district activities. Each Report details the key performance of the Care Team, including the number of services delivered and the number of beneficiaries, etc.
The Work Reports also categorise and set out the related financial expenditures according to essential services, additional services, and other expenses. In terms of resources, the Government provided the Care Teams with part of the funding they need, and the operating organisations were required to use the government funds prudently in accordance with guidelines, while supporting the Care Teams' services through sponsorships, donations, or internal resources of the organisations. The total expenditure for the overall service plan of the first-term Care Teams was $444 million, of which $411 million was covered by government funding disbursed according to the funding agreements (i.e. 92 per cent), while the remaining expenditure (i.e. 8 per cent) was met by community resources gathered by the Care Teams. Notably, the Government allocated $452 million as funding for the first-term Care Teams, but only 91 per cent of this amount was ultimately utilised, while services exceeding the KPI requirements were delivered. This reflects the Care Teams' prudent use of public funds and their effective mobilisation of community resources.
In addition, the Work Reports highlight some exemplary services and heartwarming stories to demonstrate Care Teams' deep community engagement and effectiveness in weaving togther caring networks. Members of the public can visit the Care Teams website (www.had.gov.hk/en/public_services/district_services_community_care_teams/index.htm ) to view the Work Reports of individual Care Teams.
The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak said, "The team members and volunteers of Care Teams have responded to the needs of residents with care and actions. The first-term Care Teams have made around 610 000 visits to elderly households and other households in need, provided around 100 000 instances of basic home or other support services, and organised around 50 000 district activities. Their achievements are to be applauded. Moreover, Care Teams also assisted in emergency and incident responses. In the event of emergencies and incidents in districts (such as during the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, the discovery of wartime bombs in Quarry Bay, Super Typhoon Ragasa, and successive heavy rainstorms affecting Hong Kong), Care Teams swiftly mobilised their members and volunteers to attend to the needs of affected individuals and provided them with adequate assistance. In particular, during the aftermath support for the Wang Fuk Court fire, more than 1 900 Care Team members and volunteers from all 18 districts across Hong Kong responded promptly to the Government's call and actively participated in emergency assistance. They worked around the clock, rushing to temporary shelters across districts to register victims, deliver warm meals and bedding, assist in sorting and distributing donated supplies, and more. I hope that through this report, the public can gain a deeper understanding of the Care Teams' work, enhance their knowledge of community services, and be encouraged to participate in the Care Teams' work."
As a key component of the Government's efforts to enhance district governance, Care Teams, together with District Councils and the "three District Committees" are the "troika" of district governance. By consolidating community resources, Care Teams deliver diversified caring and support services to the community. The second-term services of 455 Care Teams in 18 districts have commenced in October 2025 upon the end of the first-term. To continuously enhance the community's sense of well-being and fulfilment, Care Teams will continue to deepen and broaden their services tailored to district needs.
Source: AI-found images
