Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CHP urges public to promptly receive seasonal influenza vaccination as three severe paediatric influenza infection cases have been reported within eight days
The case involves a 14-year-old girl. On January 18, she attended a private clinic as she developed a fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough and myalgia. She further presented with dizziness on the following day (January 19) and sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital. Due to persistently low blood pressure, she was admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital for treatment. Her respiratory specimen tested positive for influenza A virus upon laboratory testing. She remains hospitalised, but her condition has stabilised and her blood pressure has returned to normal.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the girl had received the 2025/26 SIV. Three of her classmates recently developed influenza-like symptoms. One of them was hospitalised and has been discharged, with a respiratory specimen testing positive for influenza A virus upon laboratory testing. The other two students presented with mild symptoms and did not require hospitalisation. The CHP advised the school concerned on the necessary infection control measures to be implemented and will continue to put the school under medical surveillance. The 14-year-old girl has four household contacts. Two of them developed mild respiratory symptoms earlier but did not require hospitalisation.
So far this year, three severe paediatric influenza cases have been recorded, involving children aged between 6 months and 14 years old. Two of the affected children had not received SIV, including one case who received the 2025/26 SIV only three days before the onset of illness. As the patient was not protected by the vaccine, the case is not counted as being vaccinated. During the summer influenza season ending in early January, 25 severe paediatric influenza cases were recorded, including three fatal cases and involving children aged between 6 months to 17 years old. Among them, 20 cases (80 per cent) had not received an SIV (including one case who received the 2025/26 SIV only four days before the onset of illness).
”Influenza activity may rise again as the weather remains cold in the first quarter of this year, and it cannot be ruled out that the circulating virus strains may change as the winter influenza season approaches. Therefore, I once again urge all individuals aged 6 months or older, except those with known contraindications, to act promptly if they have not yet received an SIV. This includes those who contracted influenza during the summer influenza season in order to guard against other circulating virus strains that may emerge during the upcoming winter influenza season. Furthermore, although there are some antigenic differences between the currently circulating influenza A (H3) virus strain and the virus strain contained in the vaccine, scientific research indicates that this season’s influenza vaccines can still offer protection against the variant strain of subclade K, as well as the influenza A (H1) and influenza B strains included in the vaccine,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, said.Issued at HKT 19:34
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Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance comes into effect today
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance comes into effect today
Any specified professional who fails to comply with the obligation to make mandatory reports under the Ordinance may result in a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment and a fine of level 5 ($50,000). The Ordinance provides protection for specified professionals at the same time by prohibiting any person from inhibiting or obstructing the making of reports or disclosing the identity of specified professionals who made reports.
“The commencement of the Ordinance marks an important milestone in Hong Kong’s efforts regarding child protection by creating a comprehensive and effective protection web for children,” a spokesman for the Labour and Welfare Bureau said.
Please visit the webpage (www.childprotectiontraining.hk/homeIssued at HKT 10:00
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FS begins visit to Davos, Switzerland (with photos/video)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, arrived in Davos, Switzerland yesterday (January 19, Davos time) and immediately commenced his programme at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting.
In the afternoon, Mr Chan met with the Minister of Economy of the Sultanate of Oman (Oman), H.E. Dr Said Mohammed Al-Saqri. During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as finance, trade, green transformation and industrial development.
Mr Chan noted that Oman is transitioning from an oil-driven growth model towards a more diversified economic structure, with active efforts to promote green transformation and renewable energy, while further strengthening its economic and investment ties with China. As a “super connector”, Hong Kong is well positioned to support this process — on the one hand, by facilitating Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises to invest in Oman to support its infrastructure and industrial development; and on the other hand, by leveraging its status as an international financial centre in Asia to provide Omani enterprises with an ideal platform for fundraising and financing, as well as offshore Renminbi investment and risk management products. Mr Chan also pointed out that financial market connectivity between the two places could foster mutual development, and expressed support for the stock exchanges and regulatory authorities of both sides to explore reciprocal cooperation, including opportunities for dual or secondary listings.
In the evening, Mr Chan attended the welcome reception of the WEF Annual Meeting, where he engaged with participants from around the world. He will continue his visit in Davos today (January 20, Davos time).
Man sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for illegally importing alternative smoking products
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
A man was sentenced today (January 20) at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts to six months’ imprisonment for illegally importing 40 000 alternative smoking products. The Department of Health (DH) welcomed the verdict, stating that imprisonment serves as a significant deterrent. The DH also reminded members of the public and visitors not to bring alternative smoking products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products or herbal cigarettes into Hong Kong, and not to use any alternative smoking products.
The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the DH was notified by Hong Kong Customs yesterday (January 19) that 40 000 alternative smoking products were intercepted in the luggage of the aforesaid man arriving from Guangzhou. TACO immediately arrested and prosecuted the individual.
Since the amendments to the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, which conferred arrest powers on TACO inspectors, took effect on September 19, 2025, TACO has prosecuted 15 cases involving importation of large quantities of alternative smoking products. Seventeen persons have been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment ranging from two to six months.
According to the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), a person who imports alternative smoking products, including electronic smoking products, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years; or liable on conviction on indictment to a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Moreover, under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371), no person may promote, manufacture, sell, or possess for commercial purposes alternative smoking products. An offender is liable to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.
TACO will continue to closely monitor and enforce the law to combat related offences.
The DH also cautions the public that alternative smoking products are addictive and are not effective smoking cessation tools. E-cigarettes may increase the risk of cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Smokers are urged to quit smoking as early as possible for their own health and that of others. For assistance, please call the DH’s Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline on 1833 183, and or visit www.livetobaccofree.hk for information on quitting.
Semi-urgent and non-urgent cases drop significantly by 20 per cent; Accident and Emergency Departments focus resources on critical and emergency care
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Semi-urgent and non-urgent cases drop significantly by 20 per cent; Accident and Emergency Departments focus resources on critical and emergency care
From January 1 to 18, 85 676 patients attended the 18 A&Es under the HA, representing a significant decrease of nearly 15 per cent compared to the same period last year. Among the cases, 4 889 patients were triaged as critical and emergency cases, showing an increase of 7.7 per cent compared to the same period last year. Thirty-eight thousand one hundred fifty-five patients were classified as urgent cases, representing a decrease of 8.4 per cent year on year. The remaining 42 632 patients were classified as semi-urgent and non-urgent cases, marking a substantial decrease of 21.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. The latest A&E statistics are analysed as follows:
The Chairman of the HA Coordinating Committee in A&E, Dr Axel Siu, said, “The latest statistics of A&Es, including attendance numbers, semi-urgent and non-urgent cases, and treatment efficiency for urgent patients, all indicate that resources of A&Es are now better directed towards critical and emergency patients. Non-urgent patients or patients with other medical needs are changing to seek more appropriate healthcare services other than A&Es, achieving the original intention of the public healthcare fees and charges reform. A&Es can better concentrate resources and treat patients with urgent medical needs more effectively. We are very pleased to see that the reform has successfully achieved its positive and intended outcomes.”
Dr Siu reiterated that A&E is positioned to serve critical, emergency and urgent patients. Individuals with minor conditions or episodic illnesses, such as common colds, are encouraged to visit Family Medicine Clinics, private doctors, or 24-hour outpatient services of private hospitals. Following the implementation of the public healthcare fees and charges reform, the HA has regularised the A&E refund arrangements, which can facilitate less urgent patients in opting to other healthcare institutions after triage. From January 1 to 18 this year, a total of 952 A&E patients applied for refund.Issued at HKT 17:42
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SFST and SCS speak on report of Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime and outcome of relevant disciplinary investigation (with video)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
SFST and SCS speak on report of Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime and outcome of relevant disciplinary investigation (with video)
Reporter: Why did the accountability buck stop at the Government Logistics Department? Why is the Government satisfied that there was no further oversight from bureau level? And what mechanism besides the preliminary suggestions raised before by the Government imposed to prevent similar oversight from happening again?
Secretary for the Civil Service: Our investigation has been thorough and has been comprehensive, and it has revealed a lot of facts. Our decisions are all made based on the facts. Our decisions in conducting disciplinary actions against certain officers, in reflecting their performances in their performance appraisals and so on, have to be commensurate with the shortcomings revealed in the investigation report. So, everything is based on facts and we’ll seek to take actions that are commensurate with the responsibilities of the officers concerned.
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury: In response to your question about what we have done to improve the regulatory regime, or the overall regime of the Government in procurement, I think it is exactly the purpose that we have set out to do when I led the Task Force to look at: what are the areas that we can do further? Along those lines, we have already identified four areas, including in terms of the mechanism to deal with the assessment and the contract management of tendering; and to look into the technology to make sure that there will be a wider circulation of information within the Government in case of any issues that we want to highlight to other procuring departments. At the same time, a lot of these measures have been implemented. For example, in the current re-tendering of our bottled water exercise, we have already implemented those measures. So, in conclusion, I would say that we have already identified the issues, and we have put them into practice and will continue to do so.
Reporter: First, I would like to see if Mrs Yeung could explain a bit more, in terms of why did the Government decide to revoke the former Government Logistics Department head Mr Carlson Chan’s honours, and how appropriate or sufficient do you think it is to reflect the severity of the case?
Secretary for the Civil Service: I think this procurement of drinking water incident has drawn extensive attention from the public and brought serious disrepute to the Government. In this light, after consulting the Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee, the Government has decided to reverse the previously announced decision to award the Silver Bauhinia Star to Mr Chan, and Mr Chan has been informed. This is after consideration of the investigation result and all the facts revealed.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Issued at HKT 17:22
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CSSA caseload for December 2025
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) caseload in December 2025 showed a drop of 112 cases, representing a decrease of 0.1 per cent compared with that of November, according to the latest CSSA caseload statistics released by the Social Welfare Department today (January 20).
The total CSSA caseload at the end of December stood at 193 850 (see attached table), with a total of 256 518 recipients.
Analysed by case nature, both single parent cases and unemployment cases registered a month-to-month decrease of 0.7 per cent to 17 988 cases and 15 238 cases respectively. Permanent disability cases decreased by 0.2 per cent to 16 375 cases.
Low-earnings cases registered an increase of 0.5 per cent to 1 288 cases. Both ill-health cases and old age cases increase by 0.1 per cent to 28 028 cases and 111 009 cases respectively.
LCSD’s new measures to combat touting activities take effect tomorrow
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) reminds SmartPLAY users that the new measures to combat unauthorised transfer of bookings of LCSD recreation and sports facilities/venues (commonly referred to as touting activities) will take effect tomorrow (January 21).
SmartPLAY has introduced new conditions prohibiting the use of computer programmes or other automated tools to book facilities or interfere with the normal operation of the system. Any breach will result in the suspension of the account concerned for 360 days without prior notice.
The LCSD only accepts bookings made through the official SmartPLAY website, the My SmartPLAY mobile app or smart self-service stations at various leisure venues (including the 18 District Leisure Services Offices) by normal manual procedures. Any attempt to bypass the normal booking procedures or interfere with the normal operation of the system will constitute a breach of the conditions. The LCSD will adopt phased strategies to combat touting activities, and stresses again that users should not provide their user account details to, and pay scalpers to book facilities on their behalf. Users having purchased such booking services or have provided their account details to others should change their passwords as soon as possible to prevent unauthorised use of their accounts.
In addition, to ensure that hirers are genuine users, a hirer is required to provide the information of two other users when booking an indoor basketball or volleyball court starting from tomorrow. The hirer and one of the two users named in the booking are required to check in together and be present during use of the booked session.
Details of the new measures to combat touting activities are available at the LCSD’s thematic webpage “Improvement measures to booking and use of recreation and sports facilities” (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/facilities/facilitiesbooking/procedure/ls_fac_improve.html). For enquiries, please call the SmartPLAY hotline at 3954 5150.
Korean premium hair brand LEEKAJA arrives in Central, establishing Hong Kong regional headquarters for Asian expansion (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (January 20) announced that LEEKAJA x AMONG, a new flagship store collaborated on between Korean premium hair brand LEEKAJA and creative brand AMONG, has launched in Central. The brand also established its Hong Kong regional headquarters as a core base for expanding its Asian operations.
The Central flagship store blends LEEKAJA’s hair expertise with AMONG’s aesthetic vision, bringing a fresh K-Beauty experience that encompasses Korean scalp care, professional styling, fashion artistry, and lifestyle aesthetics in an immersive beauty space.
Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK Mr Arnold Lau said, “We warmly welcome Korean brand LEEKAJA to Hong Kong, injecting new energy into our lifestyle and beauty industry. Hong Kong’s multicultural environment, international talent pool, and demand for premium lifestyle experiences make it an ideal platform for brands expanding into the Asia-Pacific market. We look forward to witnessing LEEKAJA’s success in Hong Kong and across Asia.”
The Chief Executive Officer of LEEKAJA, Ms Choi Yoobin, said, “The opening of our Hong Kong flagship store and regional headquarters marks a significant milestone in LEEKAJA’s deepening presence across Asia. Hong Kong is Asia’s trendsetting hub with advantages in talent and capital markets, making it the ideal base for promoting our next-generation K-Beauty concept. This flagship store is not just a premium salon but our strategic hub for expanding throughout the Asia-Pacific region with Hong Kong at its centre.”
Ms Choi added, “Looking ahead, we will open more salons and a hair technology academy here to cultivate talent and set global-level service benchmarks. Our Hong Kong office is not merely a branch but a control tower for Asian operations, steering towards our ultimate goal of getting listed in Hong Kong by 2030.”
Founded in 1972, LEEKAJA is Korea’s leading high-end hair brand with a global footprint of 130 locations across Asia, the United States, and Europe. Known for its premium hair rituals, head spa services, and refined design identity, the brand continually redefines the global beauty experience through innovation, cross-sectoral collaboration, and cultural relevance. The brand’s Hong Kong regional headquarters will oversee operations in Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and other markets – managing performance, service standards, and global expansion strategies while leveraging Hong Kong’s role as a key Asian hub.
For more information about LEEKAJA, please visit: www.leekaja.hk.
To download photos, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720331299266.
Unemployment and underemployment statistics for October – December 2025
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
According to the latest labour force statistics (i.e. provisional figures for October – December 2025) released today (January 20) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.8% in October – December 2025, same as that in September – November 2025. The underemployment rate increased from 1.6% in September – November 2025 to 1.7% in October – December 2025.
Comparing October – December 2025 with September – November 2025, movements in the unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) in different industry sectors varied, but the magnitudes were generally small. As to the underemployment rate, increases were mainly seen in the transportation sector and information and communications sector. Meanwhile, a decline in the underemployment rate was seen in the cleaning and similar activities sector.
Total employment decreased by around 2 900 from 3 669 900 in September – November 2025 to 3 667 000 in October – December 2025. Over the same period, the labour force also decreased by around 9 100 from 3 814 300 to 3 805 200.
The number of unemployed persons (not seasonally adjusted) decreased by around 6 200 from 144 400 in September – November 2025 to 138 200 in October – December 2025. Over the same period, the number of underemployed persons increased by around 3 900 from 60 900 to 64 800.
Commentary
Commenting on the latest unemployment figures, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, said, “The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stayed at 3.8% in October – December 2025, same as that in the preceding three-month period. The underemployment rate edged up by 0.1 percentage point to 1.7%. Over the same period, the labour force and total employment decreased slightly, and the number of unemployed persons also decreased further.”
Looking ahead, Mr Chris Sun said, “The continued growth of the Hong Kong economy and the improvement in local consumption sentiment should help stabilise the labour market. Nonetheless, the employment situations in some sectors may continue to be affected by their challenging business conditions.”
Further information
The unemployment and underemployment statistics were compiled from the findings of the continuous General Household Survey.
In the survey, the definitions used in measuring unemployment and underemployment follow closely those recommended by the International Labour Organization. The employed population covers all employers, self-employed persons, employees (including full-time, part-time, casual workers, etc.) and unpaid family workers. Unemployed persons by industry (or occupation) are classified according to their previous industry (or occupation).
The survey for October – December 2025 covered a sample of some 26 000 households or 68 000 persons, selected in accordance with a scientifically designed sampling scheme to represent the population of Hong Kong. Labour force statistics compiled from this sample represented the situation in the moving three-month period of October to December 2025.
Data on labour force characteristics were obtained from the survey by interviewing each member aged 15 or over in the sampled households.
Statistical tables on the latest labour force statistics can be downloaded at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode200.html). More detailed analysis of the labour force characteristics is given in the “Quarterly Report on General Household Survey” which is published four times a year. The latest issue of the report contains statistics for the quarter July – September 2025 while the next issue covering the quarter October – December 2025 will be available by end February 2026. Users can also browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050001&scode=200).
For enquiries about labour force statistics, please contact the General Household Survey Section (3) of the C&SD (Tel: 2887 5508 or email: ghs@censtatd.gov.hk).