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A spokesman for the Department of Health today (August 26) said that additional health measures for passengers arriving from Canada since August 21 has been lifted, following confirmation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the outbreak of acute respiratory illness in an elderly home in British Columbia is not SARS.

"As travelers from Canada pose no exceptional risk to other countries, we no longer distribute Health Alert Card to airline passengers arriving from this country. Health care staff deployed to watch out for ill persons among these passengers since last week have also been called back for their normal duties," the spokesman said.

"However, the on-going stringent health screening measures at the Airport and all other control points, including temperature screening and health declaration remain unchanged," he stressed.

The spokesman added that even though Hong Kong has been free from SARS since early June and the outbreak in British Columbia is not SARS, the general public is reminded to remain vigilant and observe good personal hygiene to prevent the recurrence of the disease.

End/Tuesday, August 26, 2003

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