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Vigilance against resurgence of SARS
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| 日期:
2004-01-05 15:08
編輯:
system
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The government is on high alert against a recurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Yeoh Eng-kiong, the secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Bureau, said yesterday.
Yeoh made the comments after Queen Elizabeth Hospital confirmed that a 29-year-old Japanese visitor tested negative for the virus.
The government is closely monitoring the Japanese patient's condition, who had a high fever when he arrived from Dalian on November 24.
The Department of Health said the case highlights the need for them to continue to be on the alert, adding that it had created an effective surveillance system and a comprehensive preventive programme that covers 17 different sectors.
Other than the health sector, the preventive programmes encompass sectors like nursing homes, welfare, transport, hotels and tourism, and schools.
"In case we have a resurgence of SARS, we have a good system where we would be able to mount an emergency response as soon as possible," said Yeoh.
He pointed out that hospital infection-control facilities have also been strengthened. About 900 new hospital beds with purpose-built isolation facilities will be ready at the end of this month.
Meanwhile, the Hospital Authority is also keeping an inventory of protective gear - over 16 million surgical masks and 1.6 million N95 masks are in stock now.
In addition, the health department has conducted a series of drills and exercises to test contingency plans - including a drill co-ordinated by the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau and involving a number of departments, agencies and private hospitals.
Yeoh also reminded the public that it was vital to continue to maintain vigilance, to ensure good personal hygiene and to facilitate good environmental hygiene - one of the key strategies in containing infectious diseases, he said.
The SARS outbreak earlier this year infected 1,755 people in the territory and killed 299.
Recently, several suspect cases were reported but all turned out to be negative for the deadly virus. |
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