The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, today (August 15) convened an inter-departmental meeting to listen to the latest reports and risk assessment by the Department of Health (DH), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Hospital Authority (HA) in the light of the four local dengue fever cases.
 
     At the meeting, the DH and the HA reported that they had formulated related contingency measures and guidelines in response to the local situation to tackle the risk of dengue fever. The DH issued letters to doctors and hospitals today to appeal to them to stay alert to suspected cases. In collaboration with public and private hospitals as well as private doctors, the DH will enhance surveillance, early referral and prompt control to prevent further spread of the disease. The DH also issued letters to all schools, kindergartens and institutions to urge them to take heed of environmental hygiene and prevent mosquito infestation.

     According to HA's risk assessment of the current situation, public hospitals have to maintain high vigilance and get prepared for the contingency response for Dengue Fever. These include the activation of the "e-Dengue" enhanced surveillance system tomorrow to promptly identify patient cases and report for early diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, mosquito control measures have also been stepped up in public hospitals and clinics as well as their construction sites to eliminate mosquito breeding site.

     "The Government is very concerned about the four local dengue fever cases confirmed yesterday. To tackle the potential risk of dengue fever outbreak in Hong Kong, we will not take the risk lightly and take every measure to enhance the mosquito control work," Professor Chan said.
 
     "Mosquito prevention work requires the concerted efforts of all sectors of the community. Sustained efforts of the public to keep the environment clean are crucial for effective mosquito control work. Members of the public should remain vigilant against mosquito-borne diseases so as to prevent the spread of dengue fever in Hong Kong. I appeal to all sectors in the community to work together with the Government to keep up effective measures against mosquito breeding."

     In view of the ongoing investigation of the four local cases of dengue fever announced by the DH yesterday, the FEHD immediately stepped up targeted mosquito prevention and control work at the relevant districts in accordance with the established mechanism. Today, the FEHD deployed staff to carry out inspections as well as prevention and control work including conducting fogging operations to reduce the number of adult mosquitos, applying larvicides, clearing stagnant water and disused articles and conducting grass cutting to eliminate potential mosquito breeding grounds in areas within a 500-metre radius of the residences of the patients and the places visited by them during the incubation period (including Highland Park and Kwai Shing West Estate in Kwai Tsing District, Sai Tso Wan Recreation Ground in Lam Tin, Tsui Chuk Garden and Lion Rock Park in Wong Tai Sin and the vicinity of Hillside Road in Cheung Chau). The FEHD also collected samples of Aedes albopictus for virus testing with a view to identifying the infection source of the dengue fever cases.

     Moreover, the relevant government departments will also strengthen mosquito prevention and control work and take effective anti-mosquito measures in construction sites, schools and private housing estates under their management.

     The FEHD and the DH's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) have conducted health talks for local residents. The FEHD and the relevant government departments will continue to enhance public education and publicity to remind the public to stay vigilant against the potential risk of mosquito-borne diseases including dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and Zika Virus Infection as well as continue to adopt mosquito prevention and control work at home to thoroughly eliminate potential mosquito breeding grounds.
 
     The Food and Health Bureau also informed the relevant bureaux and departments of the four local cases of dengue fever through the government's inter-departmental Pest Control Steering Committee so that various departments could strengthen mosquito control work and take corresponding measures immediately.
 
     As Aedes albopictus breeds in small water bodies, the Government reminded members of the public to strengthen mosquito prevention and control measures at home by inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, scrubbing vases and pot plant saucers at least once a week, properly disposing of containers such as soft drink cans and lunch boxes, and drilling large holes in unused tyres. The public are also advised to keep drains free of blockage and fill up all depressions to prevent puddles from forming. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent compound at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
 
     Members of the public should call 1823 in cases of mosquito problems and may visit the dengue fever pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, the CHP Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the FEHD's Guidebook on Control and Prevention of Mosquito Breeding for more information.

  

     Police today (August 15) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sham Shui Po.
         
     Tso Yik-hang, aged 34, went missing after he left his residence in Pak Tin Estate yesterday (August 14) afternoon. His family made a report to Police on the same day.
         
     He is about 1.8 metres tall, 70 kilograms in weight and of normal build. He has a pointed face with yellow complexion, short black hair and a tattoo on his right arm. He was last seen wearing a grey T-shirt, grey shorts and black slippers.
          
     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8038 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
     

  

     Police will implement special traffic arrangements to facilitate a public event to be held on Hong Kong Island this Friday (August 17).

     The following roads will be intermittently closed from about 10.45am until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal:
     
– Sai Ning Street;
– Victoria Road;
– Cadogan Street;
– Catchick Street;
– Praya Kennedy Town;
– Sai Cheung Street;
– Belcher’s Street; and
– Smithfield.

     Vehicles may not be permitted to access or leave the car parks along the route during the road closure period.

     Actual implementation of the traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the area. Motorists are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (August 15) continuing the epidemiological investigations into the four local cases of dengue fever (DF) announced yesterday (August 14) and will enhance surveillance against suspected cases.
 
     The latest information revealed that apart from the 76-year-old female patient living in Wong Tai Sin who had visited Lion Rock Park, the 17-year-old male patient living in Kwai Tsing District also visited the baseball field there. Meanwhile, further laboratory investigation revealed that except for the 84-year-old female patient living in Cheung Chau, the genetic sequences of the virus from the other three cases are identical. Further investigation on the source of infection of the cases is under way.
 
     The CHP representatives attended an ad hoc meeting of the Hospital Authority (HA)'s Central Committee on Infectious Disease and Emergency Responses this morning to review the four local cases of DF and the latest situation of DF. To enhance surveillance, the CHP will collaborate with the HA to activate the e-Dengue electronic reporting platform as soon as possible to facilitate real-time monitoring of suspected DF cases.
 
     The CHP has issued letters to local doctors and hospitals to alert them to the latest situation of local DF and remind them to enhance surveillance. The CHP has also issued letters to schools and institutions to remind them to step up mosquito control and prevention measures. Separately, the CHP has also written to the Travel Industry Council to urge them to remind travellers to adopt proper personal protective measures during travel and take heed of proper measures after returning from endemic or epidemic areas.
 
     The CHP has also provided information and details of geographical distribution on the local DF cases concerned on the CHP's designated webpage for DF to facilitate handy access of information for the public.
 
     In addition, CHP officers have conducted questionnaire surveys for the four cases concerned. As of 5pm today, 112 questionnaires involving 427 persons had been collected. Among them, none reported DF symptoms. No abnormalities have been detected so far. The CHP's medical surveillance is under way.
 
     The CHP and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department held health talks on DF in the afternoon today at Kwai Shing Community Hall, Cheung Chau Municipal Services Building and Chuk Yuen Estate Community Centre in Wong Tai Sin to deliver health advice. A total of 47 persons attended the talks. Separately, 23 persons attended the health talk conducted at the property management office of Highland Park yesterday.
 
     Persons who have been to the vicinity of Wong Tai Sin, Kwai Shing West Estate, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Hill Side Road, Highland Park and Sai Tso Wan Recreation Ground with DF symptoms should call the CHP's hotline (2125 1122) for laboratory investigation or referral as appropriate. The hotline operated from 6pm to 9pm yesterday and will operate from 9am to 5.45pm from today. As of 5pm today, eight enquiries had been received.
 
     The public should call 1823 in cases of mosquito problems and may visit the DF pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, the CHP Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the FEHD's Guidebook on Control and Prevention of Mosquito Breeding for more information.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     In view of the latest confirmed local cases of dengue fever, the Hospital Authority (HA) Central Committee on Infectious Disease and Emergency Responses this morning (August 15) convened an ad hoc meeting, which was joined by representatives from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, to discuss the risk assessment and preparedness of public hospitals for the disease.
 
     "According to our risk assessment of the current situation, in view of the unusual situation of confirmation of four local cases within a short period and also because the possibility of new local cases cannot be ruled out, the HA has to maintain high vigilance and get prepared for the contingency response. Front-line healthcare staff will be reminded to identify patients early for timely diagnosis and treatment," the HA spokesperson said.
 
     At the meeting today it was agreed to implement the following enhanced measures to be prepared for the possible risk of an outbreak in Hong Kong:
 

• To activate the "e-Dengue" enhanced surveillance system tomorrow (August 16) to promptly review suspected cases and report them to the CHP for necessary follow-up;
• To strengthen co-operation with the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP on rapid testing of dengue fever to facilitate clinical diagnosis; and
• To step up mosquito control measures in public hospitals and clinics as well as their construction sites to eliminate every possible mosquito breeding site.

     The meeting today also confirmed to strengthen internal communication on the latest situation and enhanced measures to enable the front-line units of public hospitals to get well prepared for the contingency response measures for an outbreak of dengue fever.

     The spokesperson also appealed to members of the public who are residing in the vicinity of the four confirmed local cases and other travellers returning from affected areas to inform healthcare staff while seeking medical consultation at public hospitals and clinics. Furthermore, the public are also reminded to take measures on mosquito control including wearing light-coloured long-sleeved clothes and trousers and applying insect repellent containing DEET to clothing or uncovered areas of the body, and scrubbing and cleaning drains and surface channels with an alkaline detergent compound at least once a week to remove any deposited mosquito eggs.
 
     The HA will continue to closely collaborate with the CHP to monitor the situation of dengue fever infection in Hong Kong and to keep the general public and professionals updated on the situation and relevant information.