Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
FEHD releases sixth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in December
District Among the sixth batch of Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering nine survey areas in December, all were below 10 per cent, and most of the areas recorded zero per cent, indicating that the distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes was not extensive.
The FEHD has so far released six batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in December 2025, covering 64 survey areas. Among these 64 survey areas, 60 recorded a decrease or remained unchanged in the individual gravidtrap index compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month, i.e. November 2025, representing that the areas’ mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Four other areas recorded a slight increase, but the indexes were lower than 10 per cent. Starting in August this year, 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 64 survey areas of the community. During the two weeks of surveillance, 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#Issued at HKT 17:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The three-month Pilot Run for the Duty Stamp System launched by Hong Kong Customs concluded on January 4. The Pilot Run simulated the operational procedures of the Duty Stamp System in a real setting for testing operational procedures and related technologies, monitored the delivery of cigarettes affixed with trial duty stamps throughout the entire supply chain from the manufacturing premises to their sale at retail outlets, and collected views and feedback from various stakeholders.
During the Pilot Run, under the supervision of Customs officers and a technical consultant, local cigarette manufacturers conducted several operations of affixing trial duty stamps. Overall, the affixing operations achieved a successful rate of 99 per cent. Those cigarettes affixed with trial duty stamps have been delivered to various retail outlets for sale after duty payment, including chain convenience stores, newspaper stalls and stores. Customs also arranged distribution of promotional posters, leaflets and questionnaires to all related retail outlets for facilitating a better understanding of the tobacco retail industry and the public on key features of the Pilot Run.
As well, Customs officers affixed trial duty stamps to packets of cigarettes brought into Hong Kong by travellers or imported via small shipments after duty payment at Duty Collection Offices of six border control points and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) cargo terminals.
As of January 3, Customs collected a total of 504 questionnaire responses from the public. The consolidated views showed that the public expressed positive feedback towards the publicity information of the Pilot Run, the design of the trial duty stamps, and the condition of cigarette retail packets after affixation.
To enhance public awareness of the Duty Stamp System, Customs conducted a series of promotional activities during the Pilot Run, including disseminating relevant information through the Customs website, social media and press releases. Customs also displayed promotional posters, distributed information leaflets at all border control points, HKIA and public housing estates, as well as set up mobile promotional booths in selected districts. In addition, Customs also arranged multiple briefing sessions for stakeholders with the aim of delivering details about the Duty Stamp System and the Pilot Run to different sectors in society.
Customs has been actively maintaining a close communication with the tobacco industry and relevant stakeholders. Following the introduction of the Pilot Run in meetings with representatives from the tobacco industry and chain convenience stores held in mid-October 2025, Customs organised two briefing sessions in early December 2025 and called on members of Customs’ Dutiable Commodities Customer Liaison Group, tobacco affairs concern groups and an association of newspaper stalls industry to participate. The two briefing sessions were joined by a total of 42 representatives from local tobacco manufacturers and importers, overseas cigarette manufacturers and the newspaper stalls industry. Apart from providing participants with information on the content and objectives of the Pilot Run, the procedure of stamp application and data flow tested in the Pilot Run, Customs also answered enquires from participants on-site. The tobacco industry held positive views towards the information disseminated by Customs. After the briefing sessions, Customs distributed questionnaires to collect the industry’s views, and distributed samples of the trial duty stamp to participants for their reference or testing purposes.
Industry views are still being gathered, Customs will, upon concluding the experience gained in the Pilot Run and examining the feedback collected from the industry, work with the technical consultant to optimise the design of the Duty Stamp System, including the procedures for applying duty stamps, the affixation requirements, and the details regarding installation and design of dedicated devices. Customs will continue to disseminate information to the tobacco retail industry through various channels. Customs takes this opportunity to encourage industry members to participate in briefing sessions organised by Customs and to contact Customs directly with inquiries.
Customs plans to implement the first phase of the Duty Stamp System in the fourth quarter this year, with full implementation in the second quarter of 2027, thus achieving the ultimate goal of effective distinguishment of duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones, and to combat “cheap whites”.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Statistics on Code on Access to Information for second quarter of 2025 announced The total number of requests received since the introduction of the Code in March 1995 and up to the end of June 2025 amounted to 262 689. This includes the applications for Notice of Application for Access to Information in relation to the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (Non-Chinese Citizens) received by the Immigration Department. Of these, 14 333 requests were subsequently withdrawn by the requestors and 6 871 requests covered cases in which the bureaux/departments concerned did not hold the requested information or cannot confirm or deny the existence of information. As at June 30, 2025, 1 117 requests were still being processed by bureaux/departments.
Among the 240 368 requests which covered information held by bureaux/departments and which the bureaux/departments had responded to, 236 894 requests (98.6 per cent) were met, either in full (233 684 requests) or in part (3 210 requests), and 3 474 requests (1.4 per cent) were refused.Issued at HKT 18:53
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Immigration Department arrested 20 persons during operations targeting foreign domestic helpers who breached conditions of stay During the operations, ImmD investigators raided 42 target locations, including restaurants, retail shops, food factories, guesthouses, and commercial building and residential building units. The arrested suspected illegal workers or overstayers comprised three men and nine women, aged 24 to 60. Among them, one person was a current helper, two persons were overstaying ex-helpers, three persons were holders of recognizance forms, which prohibit them from taking any employment in Hong Kong, one person was visitor, and five persons were overstaying visitors. ImmD investigators found most of the suspected illegal workers in restaurants, a guesthouse and a food factory performing dishwashing, cleaning, kitchen duties, food production and processing duties, etc. Meanwhile, eight suspected employers or persons involved, comprising seven men and one woman aged 30 to 68, included persons who were in charge of the companies or restaurants involved and were suspected of employing the suspected illegal workers.
“A helper should only perform domestic duties for the employer as listed in the ‘Schedule of Accommodation and Domestic Duties’ attached to the Contract. The helper should not take up any other employment, including part-time domestic duties, with any other person. The employer should not require or allow the helper to carry out any work for any other person,” an ImmD spokesman said.
The spokesman also said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him/her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.”
The spokesman warned that, “As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years.”
The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Online public voting for the Family Resilience Series: Parent-Child FUNtastic Free Verse Challenge under the Positive Parent Campaign organised by the Education Bureau (EDB) commences today (January 5) and runs until 3pm on January 19. Parents, students, teachers and members of the public are invited to participate actively in voting for The Most Liked Award across each group.
A spokesman for the EDB said, “The competition has received an enthusiastic response, with over 1 200 entries submitted across four groups: kindergarten, primary, secondary and open groups. Participants conveyed messages about actively facing life’s challenges, building resilience, and promoting mental well-being in different ways. To encourage public participation and enhance the interactivity of the competition, the EDB has established The Most Liked Award in each group. Members of the public may vote for their favourite entry in each group through the activity website (www.parent.edu.hk/en/smart-parent-net/topics/article/ppc-competition2025) from the 20 outstanding entries selected by the adjudicators. The entry receiving the most ‘likes’ in each group will be awarded The Most Liked Award. The result and awards will be announced and presented at the Parent-Child FUNtastic Free Verse Challenge Final cum Prize Presentation Ceremony on January 24.”
The EDB aims to enhance the understanding of the Positive Parent Campaign among students, parents, and the public through activities under the Family Resilience Series, and to work with parents and schools to create an environment conducive to the healthy development of students through promoting the 4Rs Mental Health Charter.
The EDB has been running the Positive Parent Campaign since June 2020. For updates, please visit the Smart Parent Net website (www.parent.edu.hk/en).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CHP investigates cluster of food poisoning after consumption of porcini mushrooms The cluster involves a 59-year-old male and a 28-year-old female. Approximately two hours after cooking and consuming porcini mushrooms at home on December 21 last year, they presented with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and fever. They sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of Prince of Wales Hospital on the same day and were subsequently discharged after treatment.
Based on their clinical symptoms, the CHP believed that the patients’ food poisoning was caused by consuming porcini mushrooms. Samples of uncooked porcini mushroom from the same batch provided by a patient was confirmed to be a poisonous mushroom species containing certain gastrointestinal irritants that can remain even after being cooked. The CHP has reported the case to the relevant authority of the Chinese Mainland, and will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action to safeguard public health.
Mushroom poisoning is generally acute. Common presentations include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain appearing shortly after ingestion. Depending on the mushroom species, patients may also have other symptoms such as profuse sweating, hallucinations, other neurological symptoms, as well as liver failure. The patient could go into a coma. Death may result in severe cases. If mushroom poisoning is suspected, the patient should seek immediate medical attention and bring along any available remnant for identification. Issued at HKT 19:30
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 6) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland about outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Parczewski District, the Radzyński District and the Bialski District of Lubelskie Region in Poland, and notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 and H5N5 avian influenza in Orleans County of the State of Vermont and Saint Clair County of the State of Illinois in the United States (US) respectively, and outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Nord Department and Côtes-d’Armor Department in France, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 870 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland; about 40 060 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 2.62 million poultry eggs from the US; and about 830 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 50 000 poultry eggs from France in the first nine months of last year.
“The CFS has contacted the Polish, American and French authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Lands Tribunal grants Government application and appoints administrator to take over management of Wang Fuk Court The administrator will only temporarily assume the functions of the original MC, acting on behalf of the OC to handle management matters of the estate. The OC as a statutory body established under the law will continue to exist. The appointment will not affect the ultimate decision-making power of WFC owners on important management matters. All major decisions must strictly follow the provisions of the BMO, to be decided by owners through resolutions passed at owners’ meetings, ensuring that owners’ rights are fully respected.
Upon completion of the appointment procedures, Hop On will commence work immediately. This includes conducting a handover with the former management company, clarifying the legal liabilities and entitlements of the OC and the owners under contracts already entered into by the OC, and examining the accounts of the OC. Meanwhile, Hop On will also start preparing to hold briefing sessions to explain to owners and residents its role and duties as the administrator, and to collect their views and requests, ensuring residents have sufficient understanding of and participation in the management arrangements. Staff from the Home Affairs Department (HAD) will also attend.
The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, said, “To ensure the orderly progress of various tasks, HAD has established a dedicated follow-up team, which will work closely with Hop On and provide necessary support. In accordance with the court order, Hop On is required to submit monthly reports to the Government.”
Miss Mak reiterated, “The administrator will not charge any fees for this appointment. Nina Wang Charity Management Limited has also pledged to donate a total of $10 million (representing an additional $5 million on top of the earlier announced donation) to cover the administrator’s day-to-day operational expenses.”
Miss Mak pointed out, “The HKSAR Government pledges to continue to walk with residents, provide necessary assistance, and work together with all sectors of the community to help WFC residents overcome the current difficulties.” Issued at HKT 20:16
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, at a media session this afternoon (January 6) on the management of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po:
Reporter: Can you recap in English the Government’s expectations towards the new management company? What does it signify in the Lands Tribunal’s decision? And what’s next after the company replacement? And what about the rehousing plan for the residents and any Government’s plan on how and when to rehouse them permanently?
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs: The Government welcomes the decision of the Lands Tribunal to dissolve the management committee of the Wang Fuk Court, The Incorporated Owners Of Wang Fuk Court, and appoint Hop On Management as the administrator. We all can see and understand that the management committee of Wang Fuk Court is plainly unable to carry out its duties under the DMC (Deed of Mutual Covenant) and the BMO (Building Management Ordinance) to competently manage Wang Fuk Court in an unprecedented circumstance now faced by the owners. So, the Government applied to the Lands Tribunal last month and the Lands Tribunal granted the approval to appoint a professional administrator to help the Wang Fuk Court residents to properly and competently manage the Wang Fuk Court.
The Nina Wang Charity Trustees has also agreed to make a donation of 10 million dollars to support the operation expenses or costs that the administrator may incur when they appoint other professionals to look into the various accounts or contracts of the Wang Fuk Court. So, we hope that with the assistance from the professionals and the professional PMC (property management company), that is Hop On Management Company, residents of the Wang Fuk Court, their welfare and benefits can be properly and legally safeguarded.
As for the rehousing plan, as you all know, the Deputy Financial Secretary is leading a special task force to look into this, we expect that he will listen to views from the residents and to announce any options or proposals for the residents to consider.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CFS urges public not to consume certain batches of powdered infant and young children formula Please refer to the Annex for product details of the 21 concerned batches of powdered infant and young children formula.
A spokesman for the CFS said, “Nestlé HK has initiated a recall of the affected batches of the products concerned. For enquiries about the recall, members of the public may call its hotline at 2599 8874.”Issued at HKT 22:38