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The Government tested its preparedness for a possible outbreak of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus today (March 27) during a high level desktop exercise codenamed "Exercise Ruby", organised by the Food and Health Bureau and the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health in collaboration with other Government departments.
Under the exercise simulation, Hong Kong encountered its first imported case of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus. Senior representatives from Government bureaux, departments and organisations took part in a Serious Response Level steering committee meeting, chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man. During the meeting, representatives assessed the risk level by considering key factors such as areas of transmissibility, geographical spread, clinical severity, pre-existing immunity, availability of effective preventive measures and recommendations by international health authorities.
The exercise scenario involved an imported case in which a patient returned from a country where cases of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus had been reported. The patient developed respiratory symptoms on the flight. He and his wife had also attended a wedding reception the day after his return to Hong Kong, triggering the need for subsequent close-contact identification and quarantine. In view of the risk assessment of a possible serious health impact of the disease in Hong Kong, the Director of Health recommended, and the Secretary for Food and Health agreed, to raise the response level to "Serious" upon the confirmation of a local case of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus.
Thirty-two close contacts of the patient on the flight to Hong Kong and at the wedding reception were identified and quarantined. On the day of exercise, six quarantined close contacts developed respiratory symptoms and three of them tested positive for novel coronavirus. The World Health Organization announced that there was sustained human-to-human transmission on the same day following reports of community outbreak in another country.
A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said that the exercise had tested the Government's response measures for the control of the disease, the command structure as well as the mechanism for activation of response levels. It had also focused on the preparedness and response actions of relevant government bureaux, departments and organisations, and offered members the opportunity to assess the risk of health impact on Hong Kong, before deciding the need for the escalation of the response level from "Serious" to "Emergency" as well as the corresponding enhanced response actions.
In addition, the exercise served to formulate and oversee the implementation of a co-ordinated and timely response and disease control strategy, and to decide on measures to be taken which will have a wider impact on the community. A total of 36 representatives from three bureaux and nine departments/organisations participated in the exercise.
On January 25, 2013, the CHP and relevant departments and organisations conducted ground movement exercises codenamed 'Amber' in preparation for outbreaks of other respiratory diseases. Exercise Amber simulated a locally acquired novel influenza infection and prompted an on-site quarantine operation at an elderly home. Public hospitals, in conjunction with the Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Centre, also conducted drills focusing on patient management in different clinical settings to test collaboration among specialties.
To conclude, the spokesman said, "The exercise provided a valuable opportunity for relevant parties of the public sector to test their preparedness and identify areas for improvement. The Government is committed to maintaining preparedness against any possible outbreak of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus."
Ends/Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Issued at HKT 13:16
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