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Following the conclusion of the suspected case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Guangzhou as a laboratory confirmed SARS case today (January 5), the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) called on all schools and parents to remain vigilant and step up precautionary measures against the disease.
"To prevent the resurgence of SARS, schools should refer to the Handbook on Prevention of SARS in Schools issued by the bureau and uploaded onto its website (www.emb.gov.hk) as well as the Checklist of Measures to Combat SARS on the website of the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau (www.hwfb.gov.hk)," an EMB spokesman said.
Major preventive measures that schools should implement include:
* maintaining good personal hygiene by staff and students as well as environmental hygiene on the school premises;
* requiring parents to report details if students have visited Guangdong Region recently. Special attention should be paid to these students;
* making good use of existing resources to buy materials for prevention of SARS; and
* formulating a contingency plan for emergency situations. The plan should be made known to all staff, students and parents and should be overseen and co-ordinated by a crisis management team to ensure strict compliance when required.
If unusual symptoms of infection are noticed or a large number of students are on sick leave, schools should notify the Regional Offices of the Department of Health as well as the respective District School Development Section of the EMB.
The spokesman also reminded parents to take their children's temperature daily before sending them to school.
"If a student has a fever or is not feeling well, he/she should be taken to a doctor and allowed to rest at home," he said.
End/Monday, January 5, 2004
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