Hong Kong shuts Tsing Yi hiking trails amid links to 5 local chikungunya cases
Centre for Health Protection to undertake large-scale mosquito control on the trails after hikers test positive for the disease
Hong Kong authorities have closed hiking trails on Tsing Yi for large-scale mosquito control after five local cases of chikungunya fever were detected among recent visitors.
The Centre for Health Protection said on Tuesday that the fact members of the public continued to be infected after visiting the Tsing Yi Nature Trails – despite a series of mosquito prevention and control operations over recent weeks – reflected that the risk of infection in the area remained.
“Compared with urban settings, mosquito control work [at the trails] faces greater challenges. Along both sides of the trails, there are various natural breeding grounds for vectors, including puddles on soil surfaces and fallen leaves, which increase the risk of mosquito breeding,” the centre said.
“Considering that more intensive anti-mosquito operations will be conducted there, the Tsing Yi Nature Trails will be temporarily closed to the public until further notice.”
It called on members of the public not to visit the trails – which would be closed from Tuesday night until further notice – to reduce the risk of contracting chikungunya fever.
The decision to close the Tsing Yi Nature Trails came after an interdepartmental meeting involving the Centre for Health Protection, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Drainage Services Department and others, in light of the most recent cases.