DH Conducts Public Health Exercise 'Charoite' to Enhance Ebola Preparedness in Hong Kong

DH conducts interdepartmental exercise to enhance Government's response capabilities on prevention and control of Ebola disease

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 16) conducted a public health exercise codenamed "Charoite" in collaboration with various relevant government departments and organisations to strengthen stakeholders' response and co-ordination capabilities in handling suspected imported cases of Ebola disease and to enhance awareness among all units about the prevention and management of public health emergencies.

The exercise consisted of two parts. The first part took place at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), simulating a scenario in which a person who had visited an Ebola disease-affected region arrived in Hong Kong by air and exhibited symptoms such as fever and vomiting at the airport after landing. Upon detection by staff from the CHP's Port Health Division at the airport, relevant units were immediately co-ordinated to implement corresponding measures in accordance with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's Preparedness and Response Plan for Ebola Virus Disease. These included medical assessment, infection control, environmental disinfection, epidemiological investigation, and prompt transfer of the suspected Ebola patient to the Hospital Authority (HA)'s Infectious Disease Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation and treatment.

The second part of the exercise was held at Princess Margaret Hospital. The scenario simulated the HA's Infectious Disease Centre receiving and isolating the suspected Ebola patient transferred from HKIA. It tested the relevant workflows and procedures for infection control, intensive care and arranging emergency viral laboratory testing.

Approximately 80 representatives from relevant departments and organisations participated in the exercise held by the DH today, including the Fire Services Department, the Airport Authority and the HA.

"The current Ebola outbreak is mainly concentrated in certain African areas including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The immediate impact on public health in Hong Kong remains low. So far, no confirmed cases of Ebola disease have ever been recorded in Hong Kong.Nevertheless, the HKSAR Government remains vigilant and has implemented a comprehensive set of prevention and control measures as well as a contingency deployment. This interdepartmental exercise, 'Charoite', is the second large-scale interdepartmental exercise organised by the DH specifically for Ebola disease, a highly pathogenic infectious disease, following the one held last November. The objective is to rigorously test the practical operations of all stakeholders at every critical stage of handling suspected Ebola cases under realistic scenarios, ensuring seamless co-ordination and efficient collaboration while identifying areas for improvement at an early stage to minimise the risk of local transmission. Through regular public health exercises and training for healthcare professionals, the DH will continue to refine the prevention and control mechanisms as well as preparedness and response plans, in order to strengthen the public health defence and make every effort to safeguard the health of the public," the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, said.

He added that the DH has also comprehensively strengthened its prevention and educational efforts for infection control. Since May, the DH has provided training to over 60 staff members from various government departments and organisations, guiding them on the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), relevant procedures and protection principles. In addition, forums on Ebola disease have been organised for healthcare workers in both the public and private sectors, with more than 1 500 participants. Last week, the Scientific Committee on Infection Control under the CHP also convened a meeting to confirm the recommendations on the proper use of PPE across different healthcare and community settings.

Dr Lam emphasised that the DH will continue to implement a series of prevention and control measures to strictly guard against imported cases, closely monitor the development of the Ebola disease outbreak, and adjust the prevention and control strategies as necessary in response to the situation. At the same time, the DH will actively dovetail with the National 15th Five-Year Plan to improve the public health system, enhance the prevention and control of major communicable diseases, and optimise surveillance, early warning and emergency response mechanisms, with a view to further strengthening Hong Kong's overall public health preparedness and response capacity.

The DH has previously conducted a total of 33 similar exercises and drills, simulating scenarios involving various infectious diseases, such as measles, plague, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and human infections with avian influenza, to continuously strengthen the disease prevention awareness of the community and healthcare workers and prepare for possible epidemics.

Ebola disease is caused by infection with Orthoebolavirus which belongs to the family Filoviridae. The virus is transmitted to humans through close contact with blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected animals. Human-to-human transmission can result from direct contact (through wound or mucous membranes) with blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected persons, and indirect contact with the environment contaminated with such body fluids. According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), the case fatality rates from past Ebola outbreaks ranged between 25 per cent and 90 per cent, with an average of around 50 per cent.

The WHO announced on May 17 this year that an Ebola disease outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus had occurred in the DRC and Uganda in Africa, which constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. On the same day, the HKSAR Government activated the Alert Response Level, the lowest under the three-tiered response in the Response Plan, to safeguard public health. Based on public health considerations, the HKSAR Government also issued a Red Outbound Travel Alertfor the DRC on May 21 and urged Hong Kong residents to avoid non-essential travel there.

Members of the public wishing to learn more about the Ebola disease and related travel health advice may visit the CHP website or the Travel Health Service website.

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health today (June 16) conducted a public health exercise codenamed "Charoite" in collaboration with various relevant government departments and organisations to strengthen stakeholders' response and co-ordination capabilities in handling suspected imported cases of Ebola disease and to enhance awareness among all units about the prevention and management of public health emergencies. Photo shows a suspected Ebola patient being transported during the exercise to the Hospital Authority's Infectious Disease Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation and treatment. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 16) conducted a public health exercise codenamed "Charoite" in collaboration with various relevant government departments and organisations to strengthen stakeholders' response and co-ordination capabilities in handling suspected imported cases of Ebola disease and to enhance awareness among all units about the prevention and management of public health emergencies. Photo shows staff members of the Fire Services Department, in a simulated scenario, deploying their Infection Control and Critical Care Transfer Ambulance, which is equipped with a high-efficiency negative pressure system and specialised equipment, to transport a suspected Ebola patient to a designated hospital. Looking on are the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, the Controller of the CHP of the DH, Dr Edwin Tsui, and other observers. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 16) conducted a public health exercise codenamed "Charoite" in collaboration with various relevant government departments and organisations to strengthen stakeholders' response and co-ordination capabilities in handling suspected imported cases of Ebola disease and to enhance awareness among all units about the prevention and management of public health emergencies. Photo shows the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (third left); the Controller of the CHP of the DH, Dr Edwin Tsui (fourth left); and the Head of the Infection Control Branch of the CHP, Dr Edmond Ma (second left), inspecting the doffing procedures of frontline staff and related infection control measures during the exercise. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 16) conducted a public health exercise codenamed "Charoite" in collaboration with various relevant government departments and organisations to strengthen stakeholders' response and co-ordination capabilities in handling suspected imported cases of Ebola disease and to enhance awareness among all units about the prevention and management of public health emergencies. Photo shows the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (second left); the Controller of the CHP of the DH, Dr Edwin Tsui (third left); the Head of the Emergency Response and Programme Management Branch of the CHP, Dr Leung Yiu-hong (first left), and other observers inspecting Airport Authority contractor staff performing cleaning and disinfection procedures in a simulated scenario. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 16) conducted a public health exercise codenamed "Charoite" in collaboration with various relevant government departments and organisations to strengthen stakeholders' response and co-ordination capabilities in handling suspected imported cases of Ebola disease and to enhance awareness among all units about the prevention and management of public health emergencies. Photo shows a Port Health Division officer under the CHP conducting health assessment for a passenger exhibiting symptoms at a health post of Hong Kong International Airport in a simulated scenario. Looking on are the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (first right), the Controller of the CHP of the DH, Dr Edwin Tsui (second right), and other observers. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 16) conducted a public health exercise codenamed "Charoite" in collaboration with various relevant government departments and organisations to strengthen stakeholders' response and co-ordination capabilities in handling suspected imported cases of Ebola disease and to enhance awareness among all units about the prevention and management of public health emergencies. Photo shows a Port Health Division officer under the CHP conducting a temperature check for a passenger exhibiting symptoms at a flight gate of Hong Kong International Airport in a simulated scenario. Looking on are the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (first left), the Controller of the CHP of the DH, Dr Edwin Tsui (second left), and other observers. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Development Bureau announces tender result for Hung Shui Kiu pilot area under large-scale land disposal

The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced today (August 24) that the pilot area project under large-scale land disposal located in Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK) in the Northern Metropolis (NM) has the tender assessment completed. With the approval of the Central Tender Board (CTB), the Government decided to award the project to HSK New Development Limited. The successful tenderer scored higher marks than the other tenderer in both non-premium and premium aspects, with an accepted tender price at $1.03 billion.

The six shareholders of the successful tenderer are the subsidiaries of China Overseas Land and Investment Limited, China Merchants Land Limited, China Resources Land Limited, China Tourism Group Corporation Limited, JD.com, Inc. (JD) and Sino Land Company Limited respectively.

The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said, "The HSK pilot area is the first tender project under large-scale land disposal in the NM, covering a total area of nearly 11 hectares. It is a project of considerable scale with a long investment period. The consortium of the successful tenderer encompasses not only major enterprises that have long participated in local real estate development, but also market leaders that are well-established in other industries with undeniable experience and capability. This demonstrates that a large-scale land disposal project can facilitate co-operation across different business sectors. The six enterprises pool their strengths and join forces to cast a vote of confidence in the NM through concrete actions, setting a new course for the diversified development models in the NM."

The DEVB said that the successful tenderer will be responsible for forming and developing three residential sites, on which some 3 000 flats can be built in total (assuming that each flat is about 50 square metres in size), and also complete site formation to build a smart modern logistics centre on an Enterprise and Technology Park (E&TP) site of permissible gross floor area (GFA) up to 50 950 square metres. The centre will adopt modern and quality design with JD stationing as the leading enterprise. It will commence operation with no less than 15 300 square metres of GFA within 55 months, faster than the minimum requirement of 96 months in the tender documents. The mentioned three residential sites and one E&TP site (namely HSK Town Lot Nos. 18 to 21), with a total area of about 3.6 hectares, will be leased to the successful tenderer for a term of 50 years.

The successful tenderer will also be responsible for forming various remaining sites in the HSK pilot area. Amongst them, two E&TP sites (namely HSK Town Lot Nos. 23 and 24, about 4.5 hectares) and one "Government, Institution or Community" site (about 0.6 hectares) for government facility shall have the site formation completed and handed back to the Government by end 2028. Besides, the successful tenderer will construct an open space, a pedestrian street and a footpath, which need to be completed and handed back to the Government no later than 2030 to 2033 by batches.

Ms Linn said, "After the successful tenderer completes the site formation and hands back the sites to the Government, the Government will grant the two mentioned E&TP sites of 4.5 hectares directly to Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited (the Park Company), which is wholly owned by the Government, for development of superstructure and operation. The size of sites granted to the Park Company at a nominal land premium for a term of 50 years will increase by 20 per cent, previously from 23 hectares to 27.5 hectares, which facilitates the introduction of industries with a competitive edge to the NM. This land grant arrangement also enables the Park Company to start working on attracting investments and enterprises for the additional sites, so that enterprises may settle in early after completion of site formation in 2028."

As estimated by the successful tenderer, the implementation of the whole large-scale land disposal project involves an investment of about $16.8 billion, and is anticipated to create over 6 000 employment opportunities.

The successful tenderer will need to enter into a service deed with the Government, submit a performance guarantee and arrange for a bank bond within 14 days, with a view to ensuring the timely implementation of the non-premium proposal and various requirements. As the successful tenderer has not elected to pay land premium in instalments and will settle the accepted tender price in full within 28 days, the Government can receive the full amount of the tender early.

The Northern Metropolis Project Supervision Office established by the DEVB earlier will render full support to the successful tenderer in taking forward the HSK pilot area project to expedite its implementation.

To develop the HSK pilot area, the Government has adopted a two-envelope approach in the tender, with the weighting for premium proposal at 30 per cent and non-premium proposal at 70 per cent. The assessment criteria for non-premium proposal focus on the development of the E&TP sites, including whether strategic industries are developed, whether leading enterprises are introduced, development speed, investment scale, employment opportunities to be created, etc., with a view to attracting high-quality enterprises to establish their presence in the HSK pilot area and promoting the development of industry chains.

The Government launched the open tender on December 30, 2025, which closed on July 3, 2026 with two tenders received. After the Tender Assessment Panel (TAP) assessed the tenders in accordance with the marking scheme in the tender documents, HSK New Development Limited attained the highest marks for both its premium and non-premium proposals with an overall score of 100. The TAP recommended to the CTB to accept the relevant tender, and the recommendation was approved.

Source: AI-found images