Surveillance at boundary control points will be enhanced from May 1 to guard against swine influenza, Under Secretary for Food and Health of Hong Kong Gabriel Leung said Wednesday.
Speaking at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Leung said all in-bound passengers at the Hong Kong International Airport will be required to complete health declaration forms while help stations will be set up to provide assistance to in-bound land travelers.
People who do not pass the temperature screening must go to the help stations for further checks and will be taken to hospitals for tests, if necessary.
Leung said the government will launch a clean-Hong Kong campaign. The Food and Environmental Hygiene, Home Affairs and Housing Departments have stepped up cleansing works at their facilities.
Meanwhile, the government will monitor developments and maintain a close liaison with the World Health Organization to see if the body will raise its alert level.
The under secretary said if Hong Kong has a confirmed case, the government will proactively consider raising its alert level from "serious" to "emergency". If this happens, the chief executive will chair a steering committee to stem the virus' spread.
Hong Kong Center for Health Protection Controller Thomas Tsang said no new patients needed to go to hospitals for swine flu tests. Among the seven patients being tested, five have been confirmed to be free of the virus while results for the remaining two are pending.
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2009)
