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Following is the transcript (English portion) of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a media stand-up session in the West Wing lobby of Central Government Offices tonight (September 17):
Secretary for Food and Health: We were notified by the Ministry of Agriculture this evening confirming the suspected case of avian influenza H5N1 among ducks in Panyu, Guangdong. We have come up with a list of measures to protect the health and food supply of Hong Kong. Starting immediately, we will suspend all imports of live poultry and birds, day-old chicks, poultry eggs, chilled and frozen meat from all farms within 24 kilometres radius from Xinzao, the outbreak town, for 21 days. As the case in question involved waterfowl infection, the Government will therefore suspend all imports of chilled and frozen ducks and geese, as well as duck and goose eggs from Guangdong Province for one week. In the meantime, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Guangdong authority will jointly inspect some of the registered poultry farms which supply live chickens to Hong Kong, especially those that outside the suspension zone, to ascertain that chickens for supply to Hong Kong are safe for consumption. The Government will liaise closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Guangdong authority to understand more of the epidemic and of control measures taken. We have decided to have a daily conversation. If there were any changes of condition, we would adjust our import arrangements accordingly to further protect the public. The Government will also scrap the arrangement to increase live chicken imports from the Mainland for the Mid-Autumn Festival that we have stated out earlier. As stated last week, the arrangement of lifting the ceiling of live chicken import would be suspended if avian influenza infection were found in human or poultry in Guangdong or Hong Kong. In the meantime, various Government departments have stepped up measures against avian influenza. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and FEHD would enhance inspection and surveillance of the hygiene conditions in all local live poultry farms, as well as wholesale and retail markets. FEHD would step up inspection of live chickens imported from the Mainland at the boundary. AFCD, FEHD, the Customs and Excise Department, the Police and the relevant Mainland authorities will strive to deter illegal import of poultry and birds to Hong Kong to prevent an increase in the risk of avian influenza outbreak brought by poultry and birds that had not gone through inspection and quarantine. The Department of Health will step up health advice to travellers by broadcasting health messages at immigration control points and distributing health advice leaflets. Let me stress here that the import suspension is a precautionary measure. So far, no problem has been detected in mainland poultry and poultry products supplying to Hong Kong. And we have informed the relevant Mainland authorities of our measures. Guangdong is close to Hong Kong and the animal and human transport activities are busy. Therefore, there is a pressing need for the Government to adopt measures to guard against any outbreak of avian influenza and to safeguard public health. The public should not worry too much. But they should stay alert and observe good personal and environmental hygiene.
Reporter: How serious is the outbreak? How is the ban on importing livestock going to affect Hong Kong?
Dr Chow: Any outbreak is considered serious. But we have to assess that this case is an isolated case at the moment. We have to note that since the outbreak which was detected from September 5 until the culling on September 14, there is no further outbreak in the vicinity of that area. We feel that it might be an isolated case. But in spite of that, we want to make sure that the zone we have marked out is sufficiently safe for any of the poultry exports. That is why we extend the usual practice of eight kilometres by threefold into 24 kilometres as the radius. According to our assessment, there are about 20 registered chicken farms in that area. Out of the 90 odd registered farms that used to export live chickens to Hong Kong, there will be about 20 that will be affected. We do not know exactly the volume of export at the moment.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
Ends/Monday, September 17, 2007
Issued at HKT 22:15
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