Press Releases

• TheMoral and Civic Education Section of EMB completed a teaching exemplar using ��life event approach�� for primary and secondary schools students.

• Will continue to request schools to promote students�� awareness of dengue fever and to educate them through teaching programme or extra-curricular activities.

• Completed inspection of all road drains, roadside slopes and highways by end of Feb 2003.

• Will send letters to the construction industry to appeal for their cooperation in mosquito control.
• Will conduct a second round of toolbox talks to raise contractors�� and workers�� awareness of mosquito problems.
• Will conduct by end 2003 another round of inspection (and where necessary additional inspections) of road drains, roadside slopes and highways to eliminate mosquito breeding-places associated with these structures.

• Some 35,000 containers in country parks were removed and about 11,000 advisory leaflets distributed to visitors from October 2002 to January 2003.

• Since October 2002, around 500 signs have been erected at major entrances of hiking trails and recreation sites alerting visitors to take preventive measures against mosquito bites.

• Will inspect all hiking trails and recreation sites in country parks, Hong Kong Wetland Park, fish culture zones, and wholesale market premises in a bid to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.
• Will step up efforts in removing flowerpots, containers and rubbish in all country parks in particular the 10 parks most frequented by morning walkers;

• A total of 26,262 mosquito breeding places and 89,312 potential mosquito breeding places have been eliminated from October 2002 to January 2003.
• A total of 7,045 warning and 64 summons have been issued against mosquito breeding detected over the same period.
• 49,978 village-type and 8,486 tenement buildings have been inspected over the same period.

• Will publicize monthly average ovitrap index as well as area indices covering 38 strategic locations throughout the territory to facilitate government agencies and the community in implementing timely anti-mosquito measures.
• Will conduct an ad-hoc ovitrap survey in high-rise blocks in mid 2003 to gauge the severity of mosquito breeding inside flats.
• Will launch the Anti-Mosquito Campaign 2003 on 24.2.2003 in three phases.
• Will promote a weekly inspection programme on mosquito breeding places (���A�g�O) to schools and housing estates.
• Will assess the efficacy of commercially available mosquito trapping devices in capturing mosquitoes in open areas.
• Will continue to inspect each building site once weekly.

DH

• A territory-wide telephone survey to examine public awareness on mosquito control and evaluate the anti-dengue campaign was conducted in December 2002.
• A WHO entomologist was invited to Hong Kong in November 2002 to advise on dengue fever preventive and control measures, and provide training for local health professionals, government departments and pest control companies.

• Will continue to monitor the situation via the statutory notification system and returns from HA for suspected and confirmed dengue fever cases.
• Will remind public hospitals to send specimens to the Public Health Laboratory Centre for rapid diagnostic and confirmatory tests.
• Will carry out prompt investigation and control measures jointly with FEHD for each reported case of dengue fever.

• Will produce a new TV API on dengue fever.

HAD

• Promotional activities such as seminars, roving exhibitions and design competitions were jointly organized by the 18 Clean Hong Kong District Committees and HAD.

• Will organize inspections and cleansing operations in rear lanes, hygiene and stagnant water black spots, housing estates, rooftops, villages, schools and public areas, etc. to eliminate potential mosquito breeding places.

• Will organize district promotional activities such as cleansing competitions, seminars, visits, roving exhibitions etc. to spread messages on prevention of mosquito bites for the wet season.

• Formed a special task force in each estate to carry out thorough inspection on a weekly basis to remove mosquito-breeding spots.

• Set up special task force inspection teams to visit all construction sites once every week.

• Will carry out weekly inspections to 155 estates and 66 construction sites under HD��s responsibility to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

• Will arrange special articles and mini games on mosquito control in estate newsletters.

LandsD

• Have issued advisory letters to 4,300 short term tenancy holders and relevant term contractors and consultants, asking them to take prompt and appropriate preventive measures to eliminate possible breeding places on the tenancy and works areas.

• Will conduct by October 2003 grass-cutting and site clearance at a total of about 600 identified black spots.
• Will conduct site clearance at about 20 identified hillside illegal cultivation black spots.
• Will conduct grass-cutting and site clearance on new black spots.

• Will send a further advisory letter to remind tenancy holders and term contractors of proper preventive measures to be taken.

LCSD

• A total of 4,492 cleansing operations have been conducted from October 2002 to January 2003.
• A total of 2,264 anti-mosquito operations have been conducted in LCSD venues from October 2002 to January 2003.

• Will ensure the proper working of circulation systems of 80 fountains and ponds to avoid stagnant water accumulation.
• Will deploy district special cleansing teams to carry out anti-mosquito operations to 60 venues twice weekly.
• Will liaise with Lands Department to identify vacant Government land for beautification, thereby reducing the number of potential mosquito breeding places.

• Will mobilize green volunteers to help disseminate anti-mosquito messages during coming greening projects e.g. tree planting days and horticultural talks.