Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau today officiated at the official opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Kuala Lumpur during his visit to Malaysia.

The opening marks a significant milestone in deepening partnerships between Hong Kong and Malaysia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a whole.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Mr Yau highlighted the strategic importance of this office, which is the 15th overseas ETO of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the fourth in the ASEAN region.

Mr Yau noted that ASEAN stands firmly as Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner in goods while Malaysia is the city’s eighth largest trading partner. He added that the new ETO shoulders the responsibility of deepening Hong Kong’s economic, trade and investment ties with this strategically important region and strengthening the city’s presence in it.

The geographical coverage of the Kuala Lumpur ETO includes Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Laos and Pakistan.

Mr Yau also led a business delegation to attend the “Think Business, Think Hong Kong” symposium and luncheon organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

The business delegates, including representatives from Mainland enterprises looking to go global, Hong Kong chambers of commerce and other organisations, held exchange sessions with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and local chambers to gain a deeper understanding of the situation and needs of the Malaysian market.

Speaking at the symposium, Mr Yau said that amid the profound transformation in the global economy characterised by geopolitical tensions, supply chain realignments and technological changes, Hong Kong, with its core strengths, can be Malaysia’s partner to navigate the increasingly complex external environment.

He noted that Hong Kong’s unique strength lies not only in its robust infrastructure or business-friendly policies, but also in its unmatched connectivity with the Mainland and the rest of the world, empowering Hong Kong to serve the Malaysian business community as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”.

Mr Yau said that Malaysian businesses can readily gain access to the Mainland market, particularly the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, via Hong Kong. Concurrently, the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global provides one-stop, customised services to help Mainland firms invest directly in overseas markets like Malaysia, creating a win-win outcome.

He identified new opportunities for bilateral collaboration in innovation, technology and green development, noting that Hong Kong and Malaysia are strategic partners in shaping future economies.

During the event, Mr Yau witnessed the signing of Memorandums of Understanding between four Hong Kong media organisations and Malaysian media and other organisations to foster new partnerships. The HKTDC also signed agreements with local chambers of commerce and related institutions to strengthen collaboration.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Department of Health (DH)’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today reminded parents to ensure their children receive timely vaccinations under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme (HKCIP).

Hong Kong implemented the HKCIP in the 1960s, providing immunisation services to children through the DH’s Maternal & Child Health Centres and School Immunisation Teams.

CHP Controller Dr Edwin Tsui highlighted that Hong Kong’s high vaccination coverage has successfully kept childhood infectious diseases at extremely low levels. Recommendations for the programme are made from a public health perspective by the CHP’s Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases.

Dr Tsui noted significant milestones achieved through immunisation, including the global eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the elimination of poliomyelitis in Hong Kong in 2000. He added that measles and rubella were also successfully eliminated in Hong Kong in 2016 and 2021 respectively.

Under the HKCIP, children receive the combined Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 months, followed by the Measles, Mumps, Rubella & Varicella (MMRV) vaccine at 18 months. Due to consistently high vaccine uptake, imported measles cases over the past two years have not caused significant local transmission, allowing Hong Kong to maintain its measles-eliminated status.

Furthermore, Hong Kong’s hepatitis B vaccination coverage among pre-school children stands at 99%. Consequently, the prevalence of the disease among individuals born after the introduction of the universal childhood hepatitis B immunisation programme in 1988 has dropped below 1%.

The CHP emphasised that all public health policies and medical recommendations are strictly evidence-based. Parents are reminded that vaccination schedules should not be altered arbitrarily without reliable scientific data or medical research support, as doing so poses severe and irreversible health risks to children. 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Transport Department (TD) today announced that it has issued a pilot licence for autonomous vehicles (AVs), approving a trial between the Express Rail Link at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and the Airport Express at Kowloon Station.

Issued in accordance with the Road Traffic (Autonomous Vehicles) Regulation, the pilot licence approves the trial of four private cars operating in autonomous mode. The approved route includes Wui Man Road, Jordan Road, Nga Cheung Road and Station Perimeter Roads South, East and North.

A backup operator will remain inside each vehicle to take control if needed. Additionally, all participating AVs must display the TD’s designated labels for public awareness.

The department noted that the trial will test AV technology safety, stability and operational feasibility in high passenger flows and complex traffic dynamics. Success in this multimodal transport hub will help integrate autonomous fleets into the wider public transport network.

Once regular operations begin, the AVs will provide a seamless, automated interchange between the Express Rail Link and the Airport Express. This convenient connection is expected to attract more travellers to use both the Express Rail Link and Hong Kong International Airport.

Chaired by the Commissioner for Transport, the Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Working Group will monitor the project. The group will collaborate with relevant departments and the industry to review the progress of each AV project. The group will also guide trial locations, vehicle types and licensing frameworks to support commercial development, while exploring regulatory arrangements for limited commercial services.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Department of Health’s Centre for Health Protection announced today that the 2026-27 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination School Outreach Programme will introduce a new electronic consent form feature.

Beginning on August 17, parents can use the eHealth mobile application to submit an e-consent form for their children to receive seasonal influenza vaccinations (SIV) under the programme.

The Government has been actively promoting and optimising the programme. During the 2025-26 school year, the centre started accepting school enrolment for the programme, and allowed all schools to choose between the nasal spray live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) and the “hybrid mode”, under which they could choose both injectable inactivated influenza vaccines and nasal spray LAIV.

More than 2,300 schools, representing 99% of all schools, had organised SIV school outreach activities by the end of December 2025.

This year, the introduction of the new e-consent form further streamlines the process and reduces the time parents need to fill out the form.

The centre pointed out that the e-consent form has four main benefits, including simplifying the form-filling process for parents, reducing schools’ administrative work, reducing healthcare providers’ administrative work and advancing vaccination activities.

Starting tomorrow, participating schools will receive school-specific QR codes for distribution to parents. The QR codes will take effect on August 17. By then, parents can start filling out the e-consent forms for their children.

The Government is actively making preparations for the 2026-27 SIV programme. Details of the arrangements, such as eligible groups and vaccination venues, will be announced in due course.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Correctional officers at Tai Lam Centre for Women stopped a female remand person in custody from attacking a staff member today (August 10).

At 2.15pm today, a 35-year-old female remand person in custody suddenly became emotional and attacked a correctional officer inside the reception office. Officers at the scene immediately stopped the assailant and called for reinforcement.

During the incident, an officer sustained injuries to her forearm and finger, while the assailant sustained injuries to her wrists. After examination and treatment by an institution Medical Officer, they were sent to public hospitals for further treatment.

The case has been reported to the Police for investigation.

The assailant was remanded for the offence of possession of Part I poison in 2026.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (August 10) released the first batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in August, covering 10 survey areas, as follows: 
 

District	Survey Area	August 2026
		First Phase Gravidtrap Index	First Phase Density Index
Kwun Tong	Yau Tong and Cha Kwo Ling	0.0%	N/A
Sham Shui Po	Lai Chi Kok	5.4%	1.3
Wong Tai Sin	Wong Tai Sin East	4.2%	1.5
North	Fanling North	0.0%	N/A
Sai Kung	Sai Kung Town	3.8%	1.0
Sha Tin	Sha Tin East	6.5%	1.0
Kwai Tsing	Lai King	9.8%	1.4
Tsuen Wan	Sheung Kwai Chung	7.3%	1.5
	Tsuen Wan West	0.0%	N/A
Yuen Long	Hung Shui Kiu and Ping Shan	2.1%	1.0

During the rainy season, the FEHD continues to carry out a series of measures, including:​ 

• interdepartmental collaboration: convening special meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders (such as construction site contractors, schools and property management companies) in strengthening mosquito control work at venues; 
• precise risk assessments: carrying out intensive and targeted mosquito control work at locations with more serious mosquito infestations, including stepping up inspections, eliminating mosquito breeding and potential breeding grounds, applying larvicides, conducting fogging operations to eradicate adult mosquitoes, and placing mosquito trapping devices at appropriate locations; 
• promotion and education: organising exhibitions with relevant departments and stakeholders, and distributing leaflets and posters to enhance public awareness of mosquito control and prevention; and 
• rapid alert mechanism: notifying residential estates that have subscribed to the gravidtrap Rapid Alert System, and advising property management companies and residents to stay vigilant and work together in taking mosquito prevention and elimination measures.

Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including: 

• tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside the premises; 
• remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources; 
• check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water; 
• change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week; 
• properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water; 
• properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and 
• scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission. 

Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The Gravidtrap and Density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).