HK to enhance ports surveillance under swine flu threat

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

HONG KONG, April 29 (Xinhua) -- 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 here 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.

Macao discusses swine flu prevention with mainland, HK

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

MACAO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Health officials of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Tuesday held a video conference with their counterparts in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong SAR, discussing measures of tackling the spreading threat of swine flu.

During the conference, the officials and experts reviewed the current situation of swine flu pandemic around the world, and exchanged opinions on the quarantine arrangement of suspected patients, anti-flu drug supplies, the research and development of relevant vaccine and the rapid test of new virus, according to a press release from Macao's Health Bureau.

It was agreed that a name list of health experts from the three places be drawn up facilitating their direct communication to strengthen the information sharing process and the cooperation of swine flu prevention, the Bureau said.

The Influenza Pandemic Prevention Coordination Group, an inter-departmental task force of the Macao SAR government, has raised the flu pandemic alert from level II to level III on Monday as the swine flu outbreak in Mexico continued to spread to other nations around the globe.

Macao discusses swine flu prevention with mainland, HK

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

MACAO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Health officials of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Tuesday held a video conference with their counterparts in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong SAR, discussing measures of tackling the spreading threat of swine flu.

During the video conference, the officials and experts from the three places reviewed the current situation of the swine flu pandemic around the world, and exchanged opinions on topics such as the quarantine arrangement of suspected patients, anti-flu drug supplies, the research and development of relevant vaccine and the rapid test of new virus, according to a press release from Macao's Health Bureau.

It was also agreed at the meeting that a name list of health experts from the three places be drawn up facilitating their direct communications, in a bid to strengthen the information sharing process and the cooperation of swine flu prevention, the Bureau also said.

The Influenza Pandemic Prevention Coordination Group, an inter-departmental task force of Macao SAR government, has raised the flu pandemic alert from level II to level III yesterday as the swine flu outbreak in Mexico continued to spread to other nations around the globe.

Over 1,600 swine flu cases has been reported in Mexico, where the first such case was detected, and has led to more than 100 deaths there, while more suspected cases were reported in the United States, South America, Europe, New Zealand, Israel and South Korea, according to the World Health Center.