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Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (November 18):
Question:
To combat the Influenza A (H1N1) epidemic, the authorities have, since April this year, required all visitors and local residents to complete health declaration forms when they enter the territory at various boundary control points. However, such a measure has been criticised for wasting paper and having limited effect on controlling and tracking the epidemic situation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the total number of completed health declaration forms received at various boundary control points since the implementation of the above measure;
(b) where the completed health declaration forms are stored at present, and which government department is responsible for collating and keeping these forms; when a confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1) is found to involve a person who came from a place outside Hong Kong, whether the Government will initiate the procedure of searching for the patient's health declaration form and immigration record;
(c) for how long the completed health declaration forms will be kept before they are destroyed; given that these declaration forms contain the personal data of those who completed them, what measures the Government will adopt to safeguard the data from being disclosed when destroying these declaration forms; and
(d) whether it will consider discontinuing the measure of requiring the completion of health declaration forms; if it will, of the specific arrangements, and how it will ensure that the virus will not be brought into Hong Kong from other places; if not, whether it will assess the impact of such a measure on the environment, and whether it will consider changing the current requirement (e.g. only requiring those who have influenza symptoms when entering the territory to complete the health declaration forms)?
Reply:
President,
(a) The human swine influenza has developed into a global epidemic and remains prevalent in many places. Since the end of April this year, the Department of Health (DH) has taken a series of surveillance and control measures at various boundary control points, including temperature screening for people entering Hong Kong and implementation of health declaration. Since the implementation of the measures, the DH collects about 300,000 copies of health declaration form each day at various boundary control points.
(b)&(c) Upon the collection of health declaration forms submitted by travellers, staff of the DH will immediately examine the information reported, including travel history, contact history and symptoms of the travellers, and conduct screening and assessment with a view to providing them with appropriate health advice. For travellers having flu-like symptoms or serious cases (involving travellers with high fever, respiratory distress, etc.), the DH will refer them to the Designated Flu Clinics or hospitals respectively for further examination and treatment, and adopt prompt measures to prevent the spread of the virus to those who have had contact with them. In the event of a serious outbreak, the DH will trace and inform the travellers concerned.
The DH will ensure compliance with the requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance in handling the health declaration forms. If the DH has confirmed that no follow-up action or referral is required as regards the health declarations made by individual travellers, arrangements would be made for these health declaration forms to be destroyed three months after their collection. The procedures will be carried out strictly in accordance with the Security Regulations issued by the Government, including limiting the types of staff permitted to have access to the data and keeping the declaration forms in sealed containers, so as to ensure that there is no leakage of personal data.
(d) The number of cases of infection with human swine influenza has already exceeded the number of people contracting seasonal influenza. Human swine influenza has become the major cause of influenza in Hong Kong and is now widespread in the community. The Government will continue to closely monitor the changes in the risk of the human swine influenza, and keep under review the surveillance and control measures, including the completion of health declaration forms.
Currently, all health declaration forms are printed with recycled paper or paper made from woodpulp derived from renewable forests with a view to minimising the impact on the environment.
Ends/Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:55
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