Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
FEHD releases second batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in December
District
District Among the second batch of First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering 27 survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering five survey areas in December, all were below 10 per cent.
The FEHD has so far released two batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in December 2025, covering 48 survey areas. Among these 48 survey areas, 46 recorded a decrease or remained unchanged in the individual gravidtrap index as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month, i.e. November 2025, representing that the areas’ mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Two 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 the 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 18:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (Brussels ETO) supports the participation of Hong Kong films in the 47th Festival des 3 Continents held in Nantes, France, from November 21 to 29.
This year, the Festival pays tribute to two retrospective classics of Hong Kong cinema, namely “In the Mood for Love” and “The Arch”. Complementing the screenings, the jazz quartet Flash Pig performed a special concert, featuring classic pieces from the soundtrack of “In the Mood for Love”.
Brussels ETO hosted a reception on November 26 (Nantes time), bringing together around 100 local guests from the film industry, cultural sector and local authorities. Speaking at the reception, Deputy Representative of Brussels ETO Mr Kasper Ng highlighted the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s firm commitment to developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange through the dedicated Film Development Fund and the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency.
Mr Ng also invited audience members to visit Hong Kong to experience the city’s arts and culture scene, including a wide range of film festivals of all sizes, notably the Hong Kong International Film Festival, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026, as well as the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market, which is Asia’s largest film and entertainment content marketplace.
The Festival des 3 Continents screens movies from Asia, Africa and Latin America and has featured film directors for the French public since 1979.
Chief Executive John Lee briefed President Xi Jinping in Beijing this afternoon on the latest economic, social and political situation in Hong Kong, including the follow-up work on the fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po.
At a media session in Beijing tonight, Mr Lee said he told President Xi about the Hong Kong SAR Government’s efforts to help the families affected in the fire and the ways to support them, help them and society to recover, adding that the President encouraged the Government to continue work hard on this.
“He has mentioned that it has to be a consistent and continuous effort. This is exactly what I am doing together with my government team.”
Mr Lee also reported to President Xi the establishment of an independent committee to fairly and justly look into two critical topics – the cause and the wide spread of the fire, as well as the long-standing problem regarding large-scale building renovation work.
“I have said that I have given nine months for the independent committee to complete its work, which is a pressing timetable because unlike other period setups, we are dealing with two main topics instead of one, so this is actually asking the independent committee to do two major tasks almost in parallel that will be very demanding.”
“That is also why I have reported that I have given this reserve power for the independent committee to, on the one hand, streamline procedures to increase efficiency so that they can finish the work as soon as possible, and at the same time ensure that they will have the power necessary if it is required at the time to address certain issues and areas. And I have made it very clear to President Xi that the committee’s purpose is to find out the truth and also to look for accountability.”
Mr Lee also reported to the President that the Government and Hong Kong as a whole will continue to steadfastly uphold the duty of safeguarding national security, noting that President Xi affirmed his strong recognition of the Government’s efforts in this regard.
As of this morning, a total of 1,236 residents affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po have been accommodated through the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 3,354 residents are currently living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau, units from the Housing Society or Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun.
Currently, there is still an abundant supply of more than 1,000 units that can provide affected residents with longer term accommodation. The transitional housing and the Housing Society projects in different districts can altogether provide around 400 units at the moment.
Additionally, Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun and Runway 1331 at Kai Tak can provide a supply of around 900 units.
As of noon today, donations received by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had reached about $3.4 billion. Combined with the $300 million startup capital from the Government, this takes the fund to a total of around $3.7 billion.
On the Government’s online platform for donated supplies, about 1,900 registrations have been received, with approximately 30% submitted by organisations. Over 24,000 donation items, covering various categories, have been distributed.
The Fire Services Department said today that in response to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, it has maintained close collaboration with property management organisations and stepped up inspections of fire service installations and equipment (FSIs) in buildings since December 4.
The department has redeployed manpower internally to enhance inspections of FSIs in buildings, particularly those undergoing major maintenance, and has proactively inspected the functional status of fire alarms. Should any non-compliance be identified, the department will conduct thorough investigations and decisively take enforcement action.
At the same time, the department has redeployed personnel to promptly follow up on reports of abnormal operation of FSIs in buildings and will take appropriate enforcement action accordingly.
Additionally, it earlier engaged in in-depth exchanges with the Property Management Services Authority, the Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies, the Housing Authority, the Housing Society, and the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong.
The department emphasised that apart from ensuring annual inspections of FSIs are conducted in their premises in accordance with the Fire Service (Installations & Equipment) Regulations, property management bodies must also proactively discharge their management duties and assist property owners in properly maintaining the FSIs in common areas to ensure their continuous and effective operation.
The FSD also reminds property management personnel to inspect the FSIs regularly during daily work and assist owners and their organisations to handle any damage or malfunction of the FSIs in a timely manner.
To address public concerns regarding the performance of building fire alarms, stakeholders have agreed to promote voluntary fire alarm testing to safeguard public safety.
The scope of the testing includes checking that manual call points are intact and capable of activating the fire alarm system; ensuring stable power supply to FSIs and reliable operation of standby power supply; and verifying that signals transmitted from fire control panels are normal with no false alarms or failures.
The department will continue to lead the Inter-departmental Fire Investigation Task Force to probe the cause of the fire at Wang Fuk Court, including investigation of the FSIs. As the investigation has revealed that the condition of the buildings’ FSIs may involve criminal elements, the case is being followed up by Police.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today strongly condemned the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and foreign anti-China media for turning a blind eye to the court’s conviction judgment in Lai Chee-ying’s case, in an attempt to mislead the public, deliberately whitewashing criminal Lai Chee-ying under the cloak of so-called democracy.
In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said the court verdict was made strictly in accordance with the law and evidence.
It pointed out that such an attempt aims to obscure Lai Chee-ying’s shameless acts and subversive work as an agent of external forces, in order to infiltrate and brainwash young people, through manipulating the media to incite the public, the interests of the country and the people.
The Hong Kong SAR Government said the HKJA has no credibility, lacks recognition and representativeness, and has even been refusing to disclose the list of its latest executive committee members. It is despicable for an organisation of such a nature to call itself the representative of the press.
The HKJA, as with other foreign anti-China media outlets, has been intentionally misleading the public by consistently and deliberately conflating the criminal acts in Lai Chee-ying’s case with press freedom. It has even played up, with ill intent, different cases to discredit the Hong Kong SAR’s human rights and rule of law situation, aiming precisely to confuse the public and smear the Hong Kong SAR.
These are extremely despicable political manipulations that must be strongly condemned, the Hong Kong SAR Government said.
It reiterated that the conviction verdict was entirely free from any political considerations, as the court clearly pointed out in the reasons for verdict that Lai Chee-ying was not on trial for his political views or beliefs. The 855-page reasons for verdict in this case are fully open for public inspection, and include the court’s analysis of the relevant legal principles and evidence, as well as the reasons for convicting Lai Chee-ying and the three defendant companies in full detail.
Furthermore, the Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that the case has nothing to do with press freedom at all.
Over the years, it explained, the defendants have used journalism as a guise to commit acts that brought harm to our country and Hong Kong. Lai Chee-ying was fundamentally the mastermind behind a series of anti-China and destabilising activities in Hong Kong, and was no doubt an agent of external anti-China forces.
The public trial of this case revealed Lai Chee-ying’s close management and hands-on control of the editorial direction of Apple Daily, and one of the senior managers even said they were free within a “bird cage”.
The Hong Kong SAR Government strongly urges the HKJA and other foreign anti-China media to understand the facts relating to Lai Chee-ying’s case as soon as possible, and do the right thing to stop any form of infiltration and activities of a subversive nature, including “brainwashing” young people of the Hong Kong SAR for external forces.
It will absolutely not condone any acts endangering national security that incite the public to betray the interests of the country and the people.
The Government today announced traffic and public transport arrangements for the Central Kowloon Bypass (Yau Ma Tei Section) (CKB (YMT Section)), which is due to be commissioned on December 21.
Connecting Yau Ma Tei Interchange in West Kowloon and Kai Tak Interchange in East Kowloon, the new road section will allow motorists to travel directly between Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Bay, with the journey time being significantly reduced from about 30 minutes currently to just about five minutes.
Traffic arrangements
At the Yau Ma Tei end of the CKB (YMT Section), there are seven entrances and exits. Motorists can travel to and from Tsim Sha Tsui, the Western Harbour Crossing, Tai Kok Tsui or Kwai Chung via Hoi Po Road, West Kowloon Highway or Lin Cheung Road.
Meanwhile, at the Kai Tak end of the bypass eight entrances and exits enable motorists to travel to and from Kai Tak, Kowloon Bay, the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal or Kwun Tong via Shing Kai Road, Kai Cheung Road or Kai Fuk Road.
Traffic signs and road markings have been put in place to guide motorists on how to reach various destinations.
Public transport arrangements
From December 22, a total of eight bus routes, comprising three new routes and five adjusted routes, will provide services via the CKB (YMT Section) during peak hours from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
The three new routes are KMB 33X, KMB 252S and Citybus A28X.
Five of KMB’s existing routes, namely 258X, 259S, 259X, 268P and 269S, will be adjusted to run through the bypass.
Additionally, four more bus routes will commence service next year.
The Central Kowloon Bypass will be a toll road, with tolls commencing when the entire bypass, including the Kowloon Bay Section, is fully commissioned next year.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.8% in the September to November period, unchanged from the August to October period, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.
The underemployment rate remained at 1.6%.
Total employment was 3,669,900, down around 2,800 from August to October, while the labour force also decreased by around 8,000 to 3,814,300.
Looking ahead, Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun said the solid expansion of the Hong Kong economy and improving consumer confidence should continue to support the overall labour market.
“Yet, the employment situations in some sectors may remain under pressure as their businesses face challenges,” he added.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CSD fully launches Video Visit e-Booking Service In order to enjoy the Video Visit e-Booking Service, visitors must be declared visitors of PICs and register for the e-Services Platform in advance. Visitors can also make bookings for physical visits and use the Approved Hand-in Articles e-Ordering Service through the e-Services Platform. Detailed information about the e-Services Platform is available on the CSD’s website (www.csd.gov.hk/english/socialvisit/ins_vis_guide.htmlIssued at HKT 12:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
EDB launches AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching Funding Programme The Chief Executive proposed in the 2025 Policy Address to step up efforts to promote digital education in primary and secondary schools, and announced that the EDB has set aside $2 billion in the Quality Education Fund (QEF) to advance the relevant support measures proposed by the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Digital Education (SCSDDE). This will help Hong Kong’s education embrace the opportunities of the AI era and achieve the goal of “AI for ALL subjects”, where teachers utilise AI effectively to support teaching across subjects.
The Chairperson of the SCSDDE and Under Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai, said, “The EDB is determined to make AI the core driving force behind digital transformation in schools, and support primary and secondary schools in utilising AI to enhance learning and teaching effectiveness. In this connection, within the $2 billion earmarked under the QEF, the EDB allocates approximately $500 million to launch the three-year programme starting from this school year. Schools can flexibly utilise the funding to initiate and promote school-based programmes that use AI to empower education, catering for their specific circumstances and developmental needs.”
He continued, “Successful school applicants will receive one-off funding of $500,000. Schools can utilise the funding according to the guidelines to purchase/ subscribe to/ lease AI-powered devices/ services that facilitate AI-assisted teaching, and to subsidise students’ participation in activities that enhance their AI literacy and skills. Generally, schools will receive the block funding of $500,000 on or before June 30, 2026. Schools can use the funding from the 2025/26 school year to the 2027/28 school year, until August 31, 2028.”
The EDB encourages publicly funded schools to submit their applications for the said programme and have comprehensive planning of digital education (especially AI education) in schools, thereby empowering education through technology to enhance the quality of learning and teaching. For details of the programme and the related briefing sessions, please refer to EDB Circular No. 221/2025 (applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBCM/EDBCM25221E.pdfIssued at HKT 11:08