Hong Kong seals off the Tsing Yi Nature Trails for an intensified mosquito control operation after five locally acquired chikungunya cases were linked to recent visitors.
The Centre for Health Protection announced on Tuesday that despite ongoing mosquito-prevention efforts over the past weeks, the risk of infection remains because people continue to fall ill after visiting the trails.
Directorate officials explained that controlling mosquitoes at these natural trail sites presents unique difficulties. They noted that greenery and water-collecting features along both sides of the paths create natural breeding habitats for mosquitoes, such as soil puddles and fallen leaves, which sustain vector populations and heighten transmission risk.
Given the plan to deploy more aggressive anti-mosquito measures, the Tsing Yi Nature Trails will be temporarily closed to the public until further notice.
The health authority urged the public to refrain from visiting the trails during the closure to minimize chikungunya infection risk.
The decision to shut down the Tsing Yi Nature Trails followed an interdepartmental meeting that included representatives from the Centre for Health Protection, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Drainage Services Department, and other agencies, in response to the latest cases.
