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Following is the transcript of the media session by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, today (April 30) on atypical pneumonia at the Central Government Offices New Annex Conference Hall:
CE: I was in Bangkok yesterday to attend the ASEAN-China Leaders' Meeting, a meeting that was especially convened for the purpose to talk about the SARS disease. I also had the opportunity to meet the representative of the WHO from Geneva and in between these meetings, I also had the opportunity to have discussions with Premier Wen Jiabao, reporting to him about the development of SARS here in Hong Kong. I'd be happy to answer any questions.
Reporter: ...your meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao ..... overreaction....Shanghai
CE : I came back about lunchtime today, and at the first opportunity, I have already enquired with the Central Government as to reports about different measures being taken by different municipal authorities and provincial authorities on travel restrictions. I have expressed my very grave concern about this and I am waiting for a response from the Central Government after they have had an opportunity to investigate this matter. At the meeting of ASEAN and Chinese leaders in Bangkok yesterday, we talked about the negative economic impact of SARS. All of us spoke about the importance to revive tourism. The point being made very strongly was that to do this, the first thing you need to do is to really contain the spread of SARS in your community. All of us are working very hard on it. The other is not to stop people from leaving your territory, or from coming into your territory. Because the flow of people is very important. The way to do it is to strengthen the quarantine measures at the borders. So if you do a very good job on quarantine measures for inbound and outbound passengers, then you are sure that you don't let those who are sick come in, and you don't let those who are sick go out. That is the way to do it. In the ASEAN and China leadership meeting, there was unanimous consent on this. The issue is how we can do a better job at quarantine at the borders. And the Malaysian acting Prime Minister was saying to me that because of the measures we took, they actually changed their views vis-a-vis Hong Kong. I think this is the way to go in the future.
Reporter: Just to follow up. You think ..so that probably Shanghai is over-reacting... in quarantine measures....?
CE : I came back at lunchtime, and at the first opportunity already I am trying to understand what has been happening. And the Central Government would be responding to me, I hope, very shortly. When I know, I'll let you know.
Reporter: Frontline medical workers come down with SARS every day and they complained that they've not been given enough protection. And what is your comment about the medical workers who have not received sufficient protection? And the second question is: Are there any signs the WHO is going to cancel the travel advisory on Hong Kong?
CE: As regards your second point, I answered earlier on that EK Yeoh and I met with the representative of WHO from Geneva in Bangkok and we began a discussion about how this travel advisory might eventually be lifted, and over the next days and weeks we will be actively involved in that discussion. But the most important thing is to bring the numbers down. Yes the numbers have come down from the peak. The numbers are now stabilising at a rather lower level, but I don't think it's good enough. We need to move the numbers further down and this is my determination, the determination of the whole Government, and the determination of the community to do so. A combination of all these things will get us going again.
Reporter: Protection for the medical workers...?
CE: As I said earlier on, it pains all of us to see that there are so many frontline medical workers who have been affected. Over 20 per cent of all those who have contracted SARS are medical frontline workers. It pains us a lot to see this. Today I think there were four, yesterday there were three. Every day it's three, or four, or two, or five and this is not acceptable. We need work on this and bring this number down to zero.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion)
End/Wednesday, April 30, 2003
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