Category: MIL-OSI

Health Bureau extends free medical consultation services for residents affected by Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire to end of August 
DHC hotlines
 
     Under the co-ordination of the PHC Commission, the DHCs across all 18 districts in Hong Kong have set up hotlines since December 1 last year (see Annex 1) to arrange personalised case management services for affected residents, offering more convenient and comprehensive medical support. The support includes pairing the affected residents with free consultation services provided by private family doctors and CM practitioners, assisting residents to manage follow-up appointment arrangements and medication refills at the Hospital Authority (HA)’s out-patient services as necessary, and making referrals to necessary healthcare, nursing and medication services, as well as psychological support. The services co-ordinated by the DHCs are not subject to district boundaries. For example, the DHCs may assist affected residents in transferring the HA’s Family Medicine Out-patient (FMOP) follow-up appointments and medication refill service points, from Tai Po District to another location, thereby sparing residents the need for travelling across districts. As of February 24, DHC hotlines across all 18 districts have received 435 enquiries in total.
 
Free consultations by family doctors and CM practitioners and free denture replacement services
 
     The HHB has introduced a free family doctor service scheme, free CM consultation services, and free denture replacement services since December last year to support the primary healthcare needs of the affected residents. Case managers of the DHCs will arrange the affected residents to receive up to three free consultations by family doctors and CM practitioners respectively based on their individual situations and preferences, covering the provision of medication and related treatments; and at least one free dental consultation and one follow-up appointment (subject to clinical need), covering denture replacement and oral treatment services. As of February 24, 224 referrals have been handled by the DHCs.
 
     To continuously support the primary healthcare needs of the affected residents, with the consent of all participating private medical partners and organisations, the HHB will extend the aforementioned schemes and services for six months to August 31 this year. The mode of service will remain unchanged. For more details of the extended free consultation services, affected residents may call the DHC hotlines (see Annex 1) to make enquiries and arrange for referrals.
 
     The HHB extends sincere gratitude to the selfless devotion of all participating private family doctors, private hospitals, CM practitioners and dentists for shouldering social responsibilities and actively supporting the affected residents by providing them with free necessary healthcare services.
 
HA’s healthcare services
 
     The HA will also continue to provide necessary healthcare services to affected residents. All residents of the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court (including foreign domestic helpers) are eligible for full medical fee waivers until December 31 this year. The waivers cover in-patient services, family medicine and specialist out-patient clinics (SOPCs) services (including psychiatry SOPCs), accident and emergency services, day hospitals, day procedures, community services, and Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres (CMCTRs) under the HA. As of February 24, the HA has provided necessary healthcare services to around 2 000 affected residents.
 
     Meanwhile, the PHC Commission and the HA also enable affected residents with healthcare needs to make priority bookings for FMOP Services and CMCTR services. Residents can make a priority booking for FMOP Services by following the instructions through the “Support Residents Affected by Fire Incident – FMOP Priority Booking” section in the eHealth mobile application, or for the HA’s CMCTRs services via telephone booking.
 
     All individuals injured in the fire and admitted to public hospitals under the HA will receive full fee waivers for all necessary healthcare services (including drugs and medical devices) throughout the entire process of their treatment and rehabilitation. As of February 24, out of the 79 patients received treatment at various public hospitals due to the fire, 78 of them have already been discharged upon recovery, and the remaining patient is in stable condition. Healthcare staff will continue to provide appropriate treatment and care to the patient.

Mental health support
 
     The existing mental health support will continue to operate, including the 18111 – Mental Health Support Hotline, the HA’s 24-hour Mental Health Direct hotline, and the Compassionate Support Programme for Bereaved Families. The 18111 – Mental Health Support Hotline immediately deployed additional staff and strengthened training for its call handlers on the day of the fire incident to cope with the emotional distress that the public may experience due to the incident. From the time of the incident to February 24, the hotline has received more than 29 000 calls, about 770 of which were related to the fire incident. The WhatsApp service has handled over 1 400 messages, with about 50 of them concerning the fire incident. The HA’s 24-hour Mental Health Direct hotline, manned by psychiatric nurses, offers professional advice and support on mental health issues to callers, including provision of risk assessments and referrals to the HA’s mental health services as appropriate. As of February 24, the Mental Health Direct hotline has received 111 calls related to the fire incident, with 48 of them coming from affected citizens.
 
     The HHB once again expressed heartfelt gratitude to various parties in the community for their efforts in providing comprehensive primary healthcare support to the affected residents, and will continue to ensure affected residents can receive convenient and effective medical support through the DHCs (see Annex 2).
Issued at HKT 17:15

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DH adjusts prevention and control measures against Nipah virus and reminds travellers to remain vigilant and take preventive measures against communicable diseases 
Nipah virus
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     Two confirmed cases of Nipah virus infection, with onset in late December last year, were reported in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, in January. The CHP immediately sought further information from the WHO and Indian health authorities in a proactive manner. As a precautionary measure, the CHP also implemented additional health screenings for passengers arriving from India at the airport. These screening enabled prompt medical assessments of symptomatic travellers. Suspected cases with potential public health implications were referred to hospitals for examination. No suspected infected travellers have been identified under the above arrangements, and Hong Kong has not recorded any imported or local cases of Nipah virus infection to date.
      
     According to the WHO, the Indian health authorities identified and tested over 190 close contacts. All samples from contact persons tested negative for Nipah virus. No further cases have been detected so far. The WHO noted that enhanced surveillance and infection prevention and control measures are in place in India. The risk posed by Nipah virus is low at the national, the regional and global levels.
      
     Nipah virus infection is an emerging zoonotic disease. Fruit bats are the natural host for the virus. The virus is mainly transmitted through direct contact with sick animals via their contaminated respiratory droplets, nasal secretions and tissues. It can also be transmitted via consuming food contaminated with urine, droppings or saliva from infected bats, usually fruits or fruit products (particularly raw date palm sap). Human-to-human transmission is also possible through close contact with contaminated secretions and excretions of infected persons. Such transmission has been reported in patients’ household and healthcare settings. Members of the public may visit the CHP’s webpage 
Norovirus
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     Norovirus activity in neighbouring areas, including Japan and Korea, has been increasing since late last year. In Korea, norovirus activity has even surpassed levels seen during the same period over the past decade. Norovirus can cause acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and is a common cause of food poisoning. It can also trigger AGE outbreaks in crowded places such as schools, elderly care facilities, hotels, amusement parks, and cruise ships. Generally, norovirus is more active in winter (around December to March). As norovirus is highly contagious, individuals may become infected after being exposed to even a small amount of norovirus. The virus can be transmitted through various means, such as eating contaminated food, contact with the vomit or excreta of infected persons, and contact with contaminated objects.
      
     To prevent norovirus infection, apart from maintaining personal hygiene, all food should also be thoroughly washed and cooked before consumption. Before handling food or eating, and after using the toilet, members of the public should wash hands with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds, then rinse with water and dry with a disposable paper towel or hand dryer. Since alcohol is not effective in killing the norovirus, alcohol-based handrubs are not a substitute for handwashing with soap and water.
 
Mosquito-borne diseases
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     Seven dengue fever (DF) cases have been recorded in Hong Kong so far this year. All of them were imported cases. The patients had travelled to the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam during the incubation period. In addition, Hong Kong has recorded two confirmed chikungunya fever (CF) cases imported from the Seychelles so far this year.
 
     DF remains prevalent across numerous neighbouring tourist destinations. Last year, Indonesia, India and Vietnam each recorded over 120 000 cases; Malaysia and Thailand each recorded over 50 000 cases; and Singapore recorded over 4 000 cases. Meanwhile, the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention recorded over 3 500 locally infected cases in Guangdong Province in 2025.
      
     Regarding CF, from the beginning of 2025 to December 10, a total of 502 264 CF cases and 186 related deaths were reported in over 40 countries/regions. Cases were distributed across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
 
     Although the northern hemisphere is currently in the winter season, temperatures in subtropical and some temperate regions remain elevated due to climate change, creating favourable conditions for mosquito breeding. The public should check the situation of the destinations before travelling abroad, especially when travelling to Southeast Asian countries. To prevent mosquito-borne diseases, travellers should wear loose, light-coloured, long-sleeved tops and trousers, and apply insect repellent containing DEET to exposed parts of the body and clothing. Travellers returning from areas affected by mosquito-borne diseases should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong.
 
Measles
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     North America (including the United States, Canada and Mexico) and Southeast Asia (including Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines) have experienced persistent measles outbreaks in recent years due to low vaccination coverage rates. The measles outbreak in the United States has worsened, with approximately 1 000 cases recorded so far this year, significantly higher than the same period last year. In Europe, the number of measles cases in the United Kingdom and Italy have increased recently, with 130 and 84 cases recorded respectively since January this year. Furthermore, Japan has experienced a notable rise in measles cases, recording 43 cases as of February 18, compared to only three cases during the same period last year. Singapore and Australia have recorded 15 and 51 measles cases respectively this year, up from two and 21 cases during the same period last year. Most overseas cases mainly affected people who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. This shows the importance of maintaining a high vaccination rate and herd immunity within the community.
      
     Pregnant women and women preparing for pregnancy who are not immune to measles or rubella, as well as children aged under 1 year who are not due for the first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella-combined vaccine under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme      
     The CHP will continue to closely monitor the latest notifications and recommendations from the WHO regarding public health events worldwide, and implement appropriate prevention and control measures based on risk assessments to safeguard public health and the well-being of citizens. Before travelling, members of the public may visit the DH’s Travel Health Service webpageIssued at HKT 17:15

“Quarterly Report on General Household Survey” for October to December 2025 published 
     The report contains statistics on labour force, employment, unemployment and underemployment for the fourth quarter of 2025. It also contains detailed analyses of the characteristics of different categories of members of the labour force, including their age, sex, educational attainment, employment status, occupation, industry, hours worked per week and monthly employment earnings, etc. Information on duration of unemployment for the unemployed is also presented.
 
     Users can browse and download the report at the website of the Census and Statistics Department (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050001&scode=200 
     The summary of broad survey findings published in the report is shown in Table 1 attached. Enquiries about the contents of the report can be directed to the General Household Survey Section (3), Census and Statistics Department (Tel: 2887 5508 or email: ghs@censtatd.gov.hkIssued at HKT 14:00

Lunar New Year auction of vehicle registration marks this Sunday(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”. Any bidder who wishes to bid for both TVRMs and the PVRM should bring along at least two crossed cheques for payment of auction prices (for an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for the mark assignment can be completed). Successful bidders may also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS), but are reminded to note the maximum transfer amount on the same day of the payment card. Payment by post-dated cheque, cash, credit card or other methods will not be accepted.Issued at HKT 14:30

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Princess Margaret Hospital announces a suspected indecent assault incident involving staff members      
     Two patient care assistants (PCA) of a medicine and geriatrics ward were suspected to have been indecently assaulted while taking care of a patient on the morning of February 22. The hospital reported the incidents to the Police after receiving reports. A 53-year-old male patient was arrested by the Police in the ward two days ago (February 24).
       
     The hospital is highly concerned about those incidents. The hospital strongly condemns the suspected indecent acts against its staff members, resolutely adopts a zero-tolerance attitude towards such incidents, and will follow up seriously while fully co-operating with the Police investigation. The hospital has expressed sympathy and provided support to the staff members concerned.
      
     Those incidents have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advance Incident Reporting System.
Issued at HKT 15:17

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DH urges public to promptly receive seasonal influenza vaccinations amid rising influenza activity      
     “The CHP’s latest surveillance data shows that the percentage of respiratory specimens tested positive for seasonal influenza viruses last week (February 15 to 21) was 2.29 per cent, up from 1.96 per cent recorded in the previous week (February 8 to 14). During the same period, the influenza admission rate in public hospitals was 0.13 cases per 10 000 population, which is higher than the 0.10 cases per 10 000 population recorded in the previous week. The proportion of influenza B among positive respiratory specimens has gradually increased from around 6 per cent in late January to over 21 per cent last week. Meanwhile, the proportion of influenza A (H3) virus strains has decreased from 91 to 71 per cent. Outside Hong Kong, seasonal influenza activity remains high in Japan and Korea, with the predominant circulating viruses having shifted from influenza A (H3) to influenza B. Japan is experiencing another winter peak driven by influenza B. Influenza B proportions have also increased in many parts of the world recently, including the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan and North America,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, said.
      
     “Based on past experience, Hong Kong’s winter influenza season typically occurs in the first quarter. Given the persistently cold weather, combined with factors such as individuals returning from outbound travel after the long holidays and the shift in circulating virus strains, it cannot be ruled out that influenza activity will continue to increase and Hong Kong may enter the winter influenza season. The CHP will continue to closely monitor the situation. Scientific research indicates that this season’s SIV provides protection against influenza A and influenza B viruses. As it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body for sufficient protection against the influenza virus, I appeal again to all individuals aged 6 months or older, except those with known contraindications, to receive the SIV if they have not yet done so. This is particularly important for high-risk groups such as the elderly, children, and adults with underlying illnesses or immunosuppression. Furthermore, individuals who contracted influenza during the summer influenza season late last year but have not yet received the SIV should also get vaccinated promptly to guard against other circulating virus strains that may emerge during the upcoming winter influenza season. Apart from receiving the vaccination through the DH’s SIV Programmes      
     “So far this year, five severe paediatric influenza cases have been recorded, involving children aged between 6 months and 15 years old. Three of the affected children had not received an SIV. I would like to remind parents and caregivers that influenza in children may deteriorate rapidly. If a sick child shows any sign of deteriorating condition, for example the emergence of symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, blue lips, chest pain, confusion, a persistent fever or convulsions, the child must be taken to an Accident and Emergency Department immediately,” he added. 

     For other respiratory pathogens, the latest surveillance data shows increased activity of rhinovirus/enterovirus and parainfluenza viruses. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for parainfluenza virus have risen compared to January. To prevent respiratory infections, members of the public should maintain good personal, hand and environmental hygiene at all times. Furthermore, high-risk individuals should wear surgical masks when staying in crowded places. People with respiratory symptoms, even if mild, should wear a surgical mask and seek medical advice promptly. They should avoid crowded places and refrain from work or attending classes at school.
      
     Members of the public may refer to the CHP’s COVID-19 & Flu ExpressIssued at HKT 17:50

Tender for re-opening of 5-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds to be held on March 4      
     An additional amount of HK$2.0 billion of the outstanding 5-year Bonds (issue no. 05GB3005002) will be on offer. The Bonds will mature on May 15, 2030 and will carry interest at the rate of 2.70 per cent per annum payable semi-annually in arrear. The Indicative Pricings of the Bonds on February 26, 2026 are 102.12 with an annualised yield of 2.182 per cent.
      
     Tender is open only to Primary Dealers appointed under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. Anyone wishing to apply for the Bonds on offer can do so through any of the Primary Dealers on the latest published list, which can be obtained from the Hong Kong Government Bonds website at www.hkgb.gov.hk      
     Tender results will be published on the HKMA’s website, the Hong Kong Government Bonds website, Bloomberg (GBHK ) and Refinitiv (IBPGSBPINDEX). The publication time is expected to be no later than 3pm on the tender day.