Seven area ovitrap indices in July recorded readings above the alert level of 20%, with Diamond Hill reaching 70.9%, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department says. The inter-departmental anti-mosquito response mechanism has been activated to tackle the problem.

The other areas were Fanling (54.5%), Cheung Sha Wan (41.4%), Happy Valley (36.4%), Kowloon City North (34%), Tsim Sha Tsui (28.1%) and Wan Chai North (20.4%).

The Anti-mosquito Steering Committee held a special meeting today to co-ordinate government efforts and direct departments to take proactive and strategic anti-mosquito measures to contain the problem after learning the ovitrap indices in some areas have risen significantly due to the warm and wet weather.

Follow-up action

Chaired by Permanent Secretary for Food & Health Stella Hung, the committee asked departments involved in mosquito control and district anti-mosquito task forces to strengthen anti-mosquito efforts at blackspots. District offices were urged to bolster efforts to mobilise and organise community participation in mosquito prevention.

In the first two weeks of July the department conducted 17,100 inspections, with 14,100 potential breeding places and 3,000 breeding places eliminated. Sixty-four prosecutions were made from January to July 15 upon detection of mosquito breeding places.

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department has conducted more than 6,000 special anti-mosquito operations this year. Each public housing estate has formed an anti-mosquito special cleaning squad to conduct inspections daily, with 160 mosquito-catching mechanisms placed in estates in districts with a high ovitrap index.

"With the concerted efforts from the Government, local organisations, estate management bodies and the public, we believe that the mosquito problem can be tackled by staying vigilant at all times", Mrs Hung said.