Latest news with #FoodAndEnvironmentalHygieneDepartment
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong authorities will ‘act first' to prevent chikungunya fever: minister
Hong Kong's hygiene officers will adopt an 'act first' approach by clearing stagnant water in unattended private places to tackle the threat of chikungunya fever, the city's environment minister has said. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Wednesday pledged to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, even in places where responsibility for maintenance was unclear. 'This is a critical time for disease prevention. I believe the public is most concerned about private alleyways where no government department is clearly responsible,' Tse told a radio programme, a day after the city recorded its sixth imported case of chikungunya fever. 'If the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department sees stagnant water or a potential mosquito problem, but cannot find the person in charge as the management of private streets and buildings can sometimes be unclear, it will act first to clean it.' Tse referred to 'three-nil' buildings that have neither an owners' corporation nor a residents' organisation and do not employ a property management company. He added that other government departments were expected to adopt the same mindset, tackling issues as they arose and avoiding delays caused by jurisdictional disputes. 'We need everyone to work together on mosquito extermination. It would be inefficient if we were to divide the tasks among different departments,' Tse said.
South China Morning Post
10-08-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong restaurants to remain in ‘survival of the fittest' mode, analysts say
Tenant churn in retail properties in Hong Kong will continue in coming months, as prominent restaurants close but affordable eateries and fast-food chains thrive amid economic uncertainty and job insecurity among local residents, analysts said. Advertisement Hong Kong's food and beverage (F&B) operators have taken a hit during the ongoing economic slump, which shrank retail sales for 14 straight months before a 2.4 per cent rebound in May and a 0.7 per cent gain in June, according to official data. The city had 17,154 restaurant licences as of April 30, 255 fewer than a year earlier, according to data published by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. A comparison of licence data showed that 2,034 restaurants closed in the past year, while 1,779 new licences were issued. Hong Kong's jobless rate remained at 3.5 per cent between April and June, unchanged from the previous quarter, which marked a 30-month high, according to the latest government data. 'The F&B segment is undergoing a reset and a survival-of-the-fittest process,' said Cathie Chung, senior director of research at JLL in Hong Kong. 'We expect new openings and closures will continue to hit news headlines in the coming 12 months.' Advertisement The trend towards affordable options reflects an overall consumption downgrade and a 'conscious consumption' movement in many parts of the world amid economic uncertainty and job insecurity, she added.
South China Morning Post
07-08-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Imported chikungunya cases will rise steadily in Hong Kong, leading expert warns
Hong Kong is expected to experience an increase in imported chikungunya fever cases, a leading infectious disease specialist has said, calling on the public to avoid travelling to high-risk areas after the city recorded three more infections. Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, co-chairman of the advisory committee on communicable diseases of the Hong Kong Medical Association, made the warning on Thursday, following several days of heavy downpours, which also raised concerns about an increased risk of local transmission 'Imported cases [of chikungunya fever] are expected to increase steadily,' Tsang told a radio programme. 'Residents should also be responsible and do their best to avoid visiting high-risk areas.' He said that since many Hongkongers lived in Guangdong province, where infections are rising, the number of imported cases would increase if those infected returned to the city for treatment. Chikungunya fever is spread by mosquito bites, with cases typically developing fever and joint pain that can last for months or even years. Other potential symptoms include muscle pain, nausea and rashes. Staff members from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department clear sewage drains around Lei Tung Estate. Photo: Karma Lo He added that the recent heavy rainfall, citing the city's second-longest black rainstorm warning on record on Tuesday, could easily cause stagnant water that favoured mosquito breeding, further increasing the risk of having more cases in the city.
South China Morning Post
07-08-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Imported chikungunya cases will rise steadily in Hong Kong, leading expert warns
Hong Kong is expected to experience an increase in imported chikungunya fever cases, a leading infectious disease specialist has said, calling on the public to avoid travelling to high-risk areas after the city recorded three more infections. Advertisement Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, co-chairman of the advisory committee on communicable diseases of the Hong Kong Medical Association, made the warning on Thursday, following several days of heavy downpours, which also raised concerns about an increased risk of local transmission 'Imported cases [of chikungunya fever] are expected to increase steadily,' Tsang told a radio programme. 'Residents should also be responsible and do their best to avoid visiting high-risk areas.' He said that since many Hongkongers lived in Guangdong province, where infections are rising, the number of imported cases would increase if those infected returned to the city for treatment. Chikungunya fever is spread by mosquito bites, with cases typically developing fever and joint pain that can last for months or even years. Other potential symptoms include muscle pain, nausea and rashes. Staff members from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department clear sewage drains around Lei Tung Estate. Photo: Karma Lo He added that the recent heavy rainfall, citing the city's second-longest black rainstorm warning on record on Tuesday, could easily cause stagnant water that favoured mosquito breeding, further increasing the risk of having more cases in the city.
Japan Times
04-08-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Hong Kong sees first mosquito-borne illness from China outbreak
Hong Kong reported its first case of chikungunya in six years, heightening concerns about the potential for local transmission of the mosquito-borne virus that can cause debilitating joint pain lasting for years. The patient is a 12-year-old boy who developed fever, rash and joint pain after traveling to Foshan in Guangdong Province in July, according to the city's public health agency. Hong Kong's health authorities believe the boy was infected there, and is now being treated in a mosquito-free environment with his household under medical surveillance. The imported case is the city's first chikungunya infection since 2019. Foshan, a city just 90 minutes away by high-speed train, has seen over 6,500 people affected in the past few weeks. The outbreak has prompted another Chinese city to set up curbs reminiscent of the stringent approach from the pandemic era. Fuzhou city in Fujian province started requiring travelers from Foshan to undergo a 14-day at-home quarantine. Macao, which last month reported an imported case involving a person who had traveled to Foshan, recorded a locally transmitted case last Friday — stoking concerns of regional transmission. Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department undertook targeted mosquito control operations at the patient's residence, including fogging, removing stagnant water and distributing publicity leaflets to boost awareness. Although the virus doesn't spread from people to people, the disease can still spread if the infected person is bitten by mosquitoes, and if they in turn bite more people. Hong Kong's strict response to COVID-19 is still fresh in people's minds. The city shut itself to the world for three years since COVID began in 2020, adopting stringent pandemic rules including travel restrictions, a mask mandate and quarantine camps. Hundreds of thousands of people — including travelers and infected residents — were sent to isolate in government-run centers such as Penny's Bay, where they had to endure spartan living conditions and attempts to escape could result in jail time.
