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The Secretary for Education and Manpower Professor Arthur KC Li today (March 23) announced in a press conference a number of measures to prevent the possible spreading of atypical pneumonia in schools despite the fact that there is no obvious spread of the disease within the school community.
"Based on a list obtained from the Department of Health, we have identified those students and staff who are relatives of or have contacts with patients suffering from atypical pneumonia. We shall contact and ask them not to go to school for one week, after the incubation period is over," Professor Li said.
"By doing so, we will remove a possible source of infection from the schools," he said.
So far, some 180 students have been identified to be relatives or to have contacts with patients suffering from atypical pneumonia.
Professor Li said that schools would be closed for one week if a case of atypical pneumonia has already been confirmed at that school.
"All schools will also be instructed to maintain good ventilation and carry out effective disinfectant measures every day," he said.
"With all these measures, we should be able to contain this virus from spreading within our school community, but we shall continue to review the situation," he added.
So far, five students, a teacher and a school bus assistant have been confirmed to have contracted the disease involving three secondary schools, three primary schools and one kindergarten. Under the newly announced measures, the following schools will be affected :
Name School closed until---- -------------------
St Joan of Arc Secondary School March 28 (Friday)
HKTA Shun Yeung Primary School March 28 (Friday)
SKH Holy Spirit Primary School March 24 (Monday)
(Shatin)
King's College Old Boys' March 24 (Monday)
Association Primary School
There is no need for CCC Heep Woh College and Tak Oi Secondary School to close because the two students contracted with the disease have already been on sick leave for over one week. As regards Diana Anglo-Chinese Kindergarten, where a student contracted with the disease has been on sick leave since March 17, has been closed on Friday (March 21) and will resume school tomorrow (March 24) because the incubation period will be over by then.
To give more details on prevention of atypical pneumonia to parents, a leaflet has been published and will be distributed to over 1.2 million students throughout the territory as from tomorrow. The Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) will also issue a set of detailed guidelines to schools on prevention of spreading of atypical pneumonia in the school community tomorrow.
EMB has set up a hotline 2892 2352 (eight lines) for enquries from the public and parents. The hotline will be operational from 8 am to 5 pm between Monday and Friday, and between 9 am and 1 pm on Saturday, starting tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Social Welfare Department has also set up a hotline 2343 2255 for enquiries related to child care centres and nurseries.
END/Sunday, March 23, 2003
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