Joint effort: Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Carrie Yau (right) said the alarming situation calls for immediate action by all in the community.

A $10 million support fund and district anti-mosquito task forces will be launched to help fight the growing mosquito menace.

The new initiatives will be introduced to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases this wet season. They come after a sharp ovitrap index rise in May.

To better co-ordinate the efforts of different departments, anti-mosquito task forces in 18 districts will be set up. They will be headed by District Officers, and additional staff will be recruited to help clean blackspots.

Situation alarming

After chairing today's Anti-Mosquito Steering Committee meeting, Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Carrie Yau said the alarming situation called for immediate action by all in the community.

She said the new initiatives will bolster clean-up operations and enhance publicity to educate the public on prevention and control.

With the best efforts of the Government and local organisations, Mrs Yau hopes the ovitrap index will fall to below 20%. Although no local case of Dengue fever had been reported this year, she said there is no room for complacency. She called on people to maintain good environmental hygiene.

Other initiatives:

* the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will recruit 500 staff to clean blackspots;

* contractors will be commissioned to cut overgrown grass on 600 pieces of Government land, and clear 68 illegally cultivated locations;

* priority will be given to areas with a high ovitrap index; and,

* the Housing Department will deploy 800 staff to step up inspection and enforcement action.

Construction site crackdown

The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department today launched a Hong Kong-wide blitz against mosquito breeding at construction sites. It will run until June 25. Officers will step up inspections and enforcement, and order site management to eliminate mosquito breeding places and remove stagnant water to prevent infestation.

Officers today inspected 127 construction sites, issued five written warnings and took out 10 prosecutions.

Under Section 27(3) of Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, an appointed contractor of a construction site will be guilty of an offence if larvae or pupae of mosquitoes are found in any accumulation of water on the site. The maximum fine is $25,000, with a daily fine of $450.

The public are encouraged to report mosquito problems through the department's hotline 2868 0000.