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SFH on Import and Export (General)(Amendment) Regulation 2013 and avian influenza A(H7N9)
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     Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, and the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food), Mrs Marion Lai, at a media session on the Import and Export (General)(Amendment) Regulation 2013 at the lobby of West Wing, Central Government Offices, Tamar, this afternoon (April 18):

Secretary for Food and Health: Owing to the unexpected adjournment of the Legislative Council meeting last night, the Import and Export (General)(Amendment) Regulation 2013 (already implemented since March 1 this year) will continue to be in force. We will make reference to constructive opinions and advice expressed by our Legislative Councillors when the Amendment Regulation was scrutinised by the Subcommittee on Import and Export (General)(Amendment) Regulation 2013 and issue an improved version of operational guidelines to our front-line law enforcement officers. By doing so, we hope that we will be able to help the front-line officers to better judge whether a particular product is subject to the export restriction. We will review the result and effect of the improved version of the operational guidelines as well as other measures for improving the local supply chain (of powdered formula) before deciding whether further initiatives are needed to be taken to amend the existing legislation.

Reporter: Why is the Government not tabling the amendment to the Legislative Council again to clarify the definition of powdered formula? How could the enhanced operational guidelines help the law enforcement officers so that they will not mistakenly arrest people again?

Secretary for Food and Health: We will continue to monitor the law enforcement situation, particularly after the issuance of the improved version of the operational guidelines, as well as evaluate the progress of other initiatives to improve the local supply chain before we consider whether there is a need to table further amendment to the existing legislation.

Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food): We intend to issue strengthened guidelines to our law enforcement officers at the front line so that they can enforce the law on a standardised basis. The guidelines will cover areas like how to judge whether certain products will fall within the regulatory ambit of the Amendment Regulation. They can do that by making reference to the product description, the labelling, user instructions, pictures on the packaging, etc, to form a judgement. We will also make it clear which age group that the product professes to target at will fall within the regulatory ambit. For example, for products that indicate that they are suitable for persons aged 12 months or above, or from 12 to 24 months, all these will fall within the regulatory ambit. However, products which are targeted specifically for people who are above 50 will not be regulated.

     In order to assist front-line enforcement officers, the Food and Health Bureau has issued a list of products falling within regulation with photographic images to facilitate our front-line staff. Moreover, if, after making reference to the list and the operational guidelines with strengthened form, enforcement officers still have some doubts or queries, they can ring up the hotline which is manned by officers of the Food and Health Bureau, who will in turn seek factual information from the Centre for Food Safety as well as the suppliers as appropriate, to ascertain whether the factual information of the product is such that it should fall within the regulatory ambit. In order to facilitate the public to understand more about the scope of regulation, we will also issue and publish pamphlets for distribution to people who intend to leave Hong Kong so that they will understand more thoroughly which products to bring and what quantity they should bring along.

Reporter: (On the possibility of human-to-human transmission of avian influenza A(H7N9).)

Secretary for Food and Health: You are asking about the recent reports from experts in the Mainland regarding the possibility of human-to-human transmission of avian influenza A(H7N9). I think right from the beginning, the possibility of human-to-human transmission has never been excluded by any experts. However, judging from the situation in the Mainland up to this particular moment, most of the infected patients have a history of exposure either to the live poultry in the market or they are actually participating in slaughtering, selling or rearing poultry. In fact, many experts have concluded that exposure to live poultry is in itself a major risk factor. Up to this moment, there is not hard evidence of human-to-human transmission. For one or two infected persons coming from the same family, there were two possibilities. Firstly, a limited degree of human-to-human transmission exists. Secondly, members from the same family might be exposed to similar environment and therefore contracted the virus in the same living or working environment. Up to this moment, there is no conclusion yet. However, there is no place for complacency and we must gear up every aspect of our surveillance and prevention in order to minimise or prevent Hong Kong being affected by this disease.

Reporter: (On measures for prevention and surveillance of human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) for the May 1 holidays.)
 
Secretary for Food and Health: The coming May 1 (Labour Day) holidays will mean a significant increase in the flow of people across the border between Hong Kong and the Mainland. Owing to this reason, we have stepped up the mechanism and surveillance for temperature check on incoming tourists or travellers at the border checkpoints.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Thursday, April 18, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:57

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