Month: December 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (Entry into the Urban Area) has been open for application from eligible Guangdong private cars since yesterday (December 9). The Transport Department (TD) received over 100 applications referred from the Mainland authority on the first day.

The Guangdong Provincial Government conducted the first round of ballot last month (November 23), with 2 388 persons registered, exceeding the pre-set quota of 1 700. These 1 700 successful applicants started submitting their applications to the Guangdong Provincial Government from yesterday gradually. 

After preliminary vetting by the Mainland authority, the application information will be passed to the TD for further vetting and processing of permit application. When the applicants complete all the required application procedures (such as vehicle inspection, verification of e-contact means, obtaining insurance and then submit valid documents via the application system), the TD will issue an electronic permit and approval letter to the successful applicants. They shall then make a travel booking online before entry into Hong Kong. Starting from 0.00am on December 23, the approved Guangdong private cars with confirmed travel bookings can enter Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

The TD is working closely with the Mainland authority to expedite the processing of applications and remind the applicants to complete each application step on time to speed up the approval process.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced that, as of 5pm today (December 10), the CHP has recorded one new local case of chikungunya fever (CF), involving a patient who visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails during the incubation period. The Tsing Yi Nature Trails is currently closed until further notice. The relevant government departments are conducting large-scale mosquito control and prevention efforts along the trails. To avoid exposure to chemicals or interfering the mosquito control operations, members of the public should not enter the area.
 
Latest case information
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     The case involves a 40-year-old male living in Tuen Mun District. A preliminary investigation revealed that he developed joint pain and a fever on December 4 and 5 respectively, followed by rash on December 7. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Tuen Mun Hospital yesterday (December 9) and was admitted for treatment in a mosquito-free environment and is now in stable condition. His blood sample tested positive for chikungunya virus upon laboratory testing.
 
     The patient had no travel history during the incubation period. The case is classified as local. He hiked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails with 11 persons on November 30, and reportedly suffered mosquitoe bites there. Other than that, the CHP found no overlap between his activities during the incubation period and the locations visited by earlier confirmed cases. The CHP considered that the patient likely contracted the infection while hiking near Tsing Yi Nature Trails on that day, and that there is an epidemiological linkage between this case and the recent local cases in Tsing Yi. His household contact and the 11 hiking companions are currently asymptomatic. The CHP has implemented prevention and control measures according to epidemiological investigations and risk assessment, including providing medical surveillance and health advice to the household contacts concerned. If necessary, the CHP will arrange for laboratory testing. The epidemiological investigation is ongoing.
 
     Hong Kong has recorded a total of 79 confirmed CF cases this year. Among them, 11 were local cases, and the rest were imported cases. 
 
Government’s comprehensive follow-up actions
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Regarding some local cases of CF who visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails or the surrounding area, the CHP held an interdepartmental meeting with representatives from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Home Affairs Department, the Drainage Services Department (DSD), the Lands Department, and the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) on December 8, to further confirmed measures to strengthen mosquito prevention and control in the vicinity of the Tsing Yi Nature Trails.

The CHP continues to urge individuals not to visit the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. Individuals who have recently hiked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails to seek medical attention as soon as possible if they develop relevant symptoms and to call the enquiry hotline (Tel: 2125 2373). The CHP yesterday issued another letter to all doctors and hospitals in Hong Kong, urging them to closely monitor whether their patients present with compatible symptoms and arrange blood tests for those concerned. The CHP’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch will provide free testing services.
 
Specifically targeting confirmed cases who visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails or the surrounding area, the FEHD has been continuously conducting intensive fogging operations to eliminate adult mosquitoes along the hiking trails. At suitable locations, large ultra-low volume foggers have been deployed, and robot dog is being put on trial to enhance operational effectiveness. The FEHD has also set up new mosquito trapping devices, cleared discarded containers and garbage that could bring stagnant water, and applied larvicide oil or larvicides in areas with stagnant water that cannot be removed immediately. The FEHD has been collaborating with Kwai Tsing District Office, Lands Department and Drainage Services Department to strengthen efforts in eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. Pamphlets have been distributed to hikers in the area, urging citizens to be vigilant against mosquito infestations and take personal protective measures. The FEHD also held meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work across districts, to discuss the latest developments regarding the situation and plan accordingly to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders in strengthening mosquito prevention and control measures in areas under their purview.
 
  Furthermore, the FEHD and relevant departments have comprehensively enhanced the mosquito control operations in Hong Kong since July this year, and this has continued. Among these, the FEHD has conducted vector investigations and targeted mosquito control operations against the imported and local cases. In light of the local cases, the FEHD has immediately conducted follow-up actions, including:
 

• 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 abovementioned measures will be continued. Furthermore, the Government will further enhance the mosquito control efforts in addition to the existing measures.

Members of the public should use DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients properly to 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.

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​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 empty cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and property management agencies 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 call 1823 in case of mosquito problems, and may visit the following pages for more information: the CF page of the CHP and the Travel Health Service, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, and the CHP Facebook Page, Instagram Account and YouTube Channel, and also the Mosquito Prevention and Control dedicated page of the FEHD.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

To offer support to individuals affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, the Judiciary announced today that all potential legal proceedings related to the incident will be handled with priority and expeditiously through a series of facilitative measures.

A dedicated task group, headed by the Chief Judge of the High Court and comprising relevant court leaders and specialist judges, will be set up to ensure the swift handling of legal proceedings related to the incident at all court levels, without unduly compromising the administration of justice.

The Judiciary will designate a team of support staff for handling probate-related matters relating to the deceased victims of the fire. The team will liaise with relevant government departments to disseminate essential information on probate-related matters to affected families. A special hotline 2840 1683 is in operation to answer enquiries.

The Judiciary will also waive probate-related scheduled fees relating to the deceased victims. At the same time, the court will consider fee concessions for other court services.

Additionally, the processing of coroner-related matters, including the issue of Certificates of the Fact of Death, will be expedited.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Legal Aid Department (LAD) today announced that it has established a dedicated task force to implement support measures to assist individuals affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, in applying for legal aid in accordance with statutory requirements.

The legal aid aims to handle litigation and related matters about personal injury claims, property damage claims and employees’ compensation claims, the department explained.

Specifically, the LAD has co-ordinated with the Social Welfare Department to leverage the “one social worker per household” service to disseminate information on legal aid, such as details on the scope of the legal aid, application procedures and eligibility criteria.

In addition, the LAD has established telephone hotlines (2867 4516 or 2399 2277) to address enquiries from the affected citizens about legal aid.

To ensure that the affected citizens can obtain legal aid as soon as possible, the LAD will streamline the application procedures and deploy staff to expedite the processing of applications.

Furthermore, seminars will be held to elaborate on legal aid application matters. Staff will offer assistance on site.

Separately, taking into account the burden and needs of the affected citizens, the LAD will arrange legal representatives to handle their litigation upon approval of their legal aid applications.

In this regard, the LAD reminds the prospective applicants not to arrange their own legal representation, and not give instructions or sign authorisation documents for legal services, in order to avoid incurring unnecessary costs and safeguard their own interests. 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Upon liaison with Police, the Housing Department will remove burnt scaffolding on the external walls of Wang Cheong House, Wang Tai House and Wang Sun House at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, starting this Friday.

Meanwhile, the Buildings Department’s orders to remove scaffold nets has all been complied with. It will announce a new set of arrangements within this week requiring 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.

Financial support

As of noon today, donations received by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had reached about $3.1 billion. Combined with the $300 million in startup capital from the Government, this takes the fund to a total of around $3.4 billion.

The fund will provide a living allowance to each affected household. As of today, 1,717 cases had been processed.

The fund will also provide the families of each deceased victim with a $200,000 token of solidarity, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, a total of 109 cases had been processed.

Furthermore, the Government announced today that a new special one-off grant of $100,000 under the fund will be provided to flat owners at all the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court.

Social workers from the Social Welfare Department have been in contact with more than 1,980 affected households, and more than 4,900 residents have been registered for the “one social worker per household” follow-up service.

Accommodation arrangements

As of this morning, a total of 1,435 residents had been accommodated under the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps or hotel rooms. Another 2,677 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Hong Kong Housing Society.

Separately, the temporary shelter at Tai Po Community Centre has ceased operation as users there have all relocated to the emergency accommodation arranged by the Government. The temporary shelter at Tung Cheong Street Community Hall will remain in operation until existing users have moved to the emergency accommodation.

Relief supplies

On the Government’s online platform for donated supplies, about 1,700 registrations have been received, with approximately 30% submitted by organisations. Over 16,300 donated items, covering various categories, have been distributed.

Regulation work 

The Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit has inspected the scaffoldings at Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, On Kay Court in Kwun Tong, Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin, Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po and Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan. The contractor concerned has completed removing all the miscellaneous items on the scaffolding.

As of 4pm today, the Labour Department had inspected 404 construction sites, issued a total of 210 written warnings and 104 improvement notices, and taken out 25 prosecutions.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu, accompanied by his wife and colleagues, visited the new office of The Epoch Times to offer congratulations on the relocation and was warmly welcomed by President Lilian Fan.
Director General Wu stated that The Epoch Times has long adhered to professional journalism and in-depth reporting, accompanying countless readers around the world through many significant moments in history. With the move to a brand-new workspace, he expressed confidence that the newspaper will continue to deliver more diverse, insightful, and heartwarming content, contributing greater positive energy to society. He further expressed anticipation for seeing more outstanding stories and coverage from the new premises and pledged continued collaboration with The Epoch Times in upholding truth and advancing societal progress.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Transport Department (TD) today said it received over 100 applications, referred by the Mainland authority, on the first day of applications for the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (Entry into the Urban Area), from eligible Guangdong private cars.

The Guangdong Provincial Government conducted the first ballot round on November 23, with 2,388 people registered, exceeding the pre-set quota of 1,700.

These 1,700 successful applicants started submitting their applications to the Guangdong Provincial Government gradually from yesterday.

After preliminary vetting by the Mainland authority, the application information will be passed to the TD for further vetting and processing of permit application.

When the applicants complete all the required application procedures, such as vehicle inspection, verification of e-contact means, obtaining insurance, and then submitting valid documents via the application system, the TD will issue an electronic permit and approval letter to the successful applicants.

They can then make a travel booking online before entry into Hong Kong. Starting from 0.00am on December 23, the approved Guangdong private cars with confirmed travel bookings can enter Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

The TD is working closely with the Mainland authority to expedite the processing of applications. It reminded the applicants to complete each application step on time to speed up the approval process.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The “Steering Committee on the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po”, at its first meeting today, agreed to launch a new special grant under the fund to provide $100,000 to each of the flat owners at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po.

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing, who chaired the meeting, said: “Since its establishment, the support fund has implemented various support measures to assist residents in addressing their urgent needs and rebuilding their lives, providing long-term and sustained support.

“The new flat owner grant will provide immediate assistance to owners of the affected flats, including those who rented out their properties.”

Donations received so far by the support fund have reached about $3.1 billion. Combined with the $300 million in startup capital from the Government, this takes the fund to a total of around $3.4 billion.

Donors to the support fund can claim and be allowed tax deductions of such donations during the relevant assessment year.

To facilitate members of the public, donations made to the fund through bank transfer with an amount of $50,000 or below will be eligible for tax deductions without the requirement of official receipts. Donors are required to retain the relevant donation receipts for verification.

Detailed arrangements will be announced here on December 15.

The steering committee, convened by the Deputy Chief Secretary, is responsible for advising on matters such as the fund’s operation as well as supervising and monitoring the establishment and implementation of support measures under the fund.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Steering Committee on the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po convened its first meeting today (December 10). The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing. 
 
The Committee noted the management arrangements for the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, as well as the latest progress of the support measures provided to residents and other affected persons as previously agreed. The Committee also agreed to launch a new special grant under the Fund to provide $100,000 to each of the flat owners of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. 
 
Mr Cheuk said, “Since its establishment, the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has implemented various support measures to assist residents in addressing their urgent needs and rebuilding their lives, providing long-term and sustained support. The new flat owner grant will provide immediate assistance to owners of the affected flats, including those who rented out their properties.”
 
The Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po was established on November 27, 2025, pursuant to the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Incorporation Ordinance (Cap. 1044). Donations received so far amount to about $3.1 billion. With the start-up capital of $300 million from the Government, the fund’s total has now reached around $3.4 billion. The Fund’s accounts will be submitted to the Director of Audit for audit pursuant to the requirements stipulated in the Ordinance. The Fund’s report will also be tabled to the Legislative Council.
 
The Steering Committee on the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, convened by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, is responsible for advising on matters such as the operation of the Fund, as well as supervising and monitoring the establishment and implementation of support measures under the Fund. The terms of reference of the Committee are:
 

1. To advise on the overall strategy, operation and procedures of the Support Fund;
2. To advise on the management and allocation of the Support Fund;
3. To oversee the usage of the Support Fund and the implementation progress of the support measures; and
4. To advise on other matters relating to the Support Fund.

 
The Committee comprises:
 
Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration (Convenor)
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs
Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Secretary for Education
Secretary for Housing
Secretary for Health
Director of Information Services
Director of Social Welfare
Director of Home Affairs

Donations made to the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po are regarded as approved charitable donations made to the Government for charitable purposes. Donors can claim and be allowed tax deductions of such donations during the relevant year of assessment. To facilitate members of the public, donations made to the Fund through bank transfer with an amount of $50,000 or below will be eligible for tax deductions without the requirement of official receipts. Donors are required to retain the relevant donation receipts for verification. The detailed arrangements will be announced on the Government’s thematic website on Support Services for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po (www.taipofire.gov.hk/eng/fund.html) on Monday (December 15).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Correctional Services Department (CSD) conducted a large-scale emergency exercise, code-named “Concord XXIV”, at Hei Ling Chau Correctional Institution today (December 10). The exercise simulated a series of incidents, which included mass indiscipline by persons in custody (PICs), a hostage-taking situation, a PIC escape attempt, assaults on CSD staff, a fire and the discovery of explosives.

     The exercise aimed to review the response capabilities of various CSD units when handling emergencies. These included command and communication capabilities at the scene, the effectiveness of implementing contingency plans at different tiers according to the developments of emergency situations and the effectiveness of emergency responses as well as information dissemination at departmental levels. The exercise also tested the CSD’s co-ordination with other government departments when responding to emergencies. This exercise also included the use of emergency evacuation procedures in the event of a fire at a correctional institution.

     A total of more than 150 staff members from different government departments, including the Correctional Emergency Response Team and the Regional Response Team, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Government Flying Service, took part in the exercise.

     The Acting Assistant Commissioner of Correctional Services (Operations), Mr Hung Ka-lok, was in charge of the whole exercise at the CSD’s Central Control Centre in Stanley. Mr Hung said that the exercise enhanced the response capabilities of the CSD and the effectiveness of its emergency support. It also ensured effective communication and co-operation between different government departments.

     The CSD holds regular emergency exercises of different scales, including those at institutional, regional and departmental levels, with a view to ensuring that staff members are capable of handling different types of incidents, thereby safeguarding national security, providing a safe and secure custodial environment for PICs and maintaining Hong Kong as one of the safest cities in the world.