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The Government today (April 8) lowered the response level of the Preparedness Plan for Influenza Pandemic from "Serious" to "Alert".
The response level was raised to "Serious" upon the detection of the first confirmed human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in winter, imported from the Mainland on December 27, 2014. Since then Hong Kong has so far recorded three confirmed cases, which were all imported. The latest case was confirmed on February 23, 2015. The surveillance system of local public and private hospitals has not detected any new cases for more than a month.
A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said that the "Alert" response level was activated in view of the ongoing activity of highly pathogenic avian influenza among poultry outside Hong Kong.
"We will continue to closely monitor the global situation of avian influenza. So far, there is no evidence of efficient human-to-human transmission," the spokesman added.
Members of the public are advised to stay vigilant and maintain good personal and environmental hygiene, including washing hands frequently, particularly after sneezing or coughing; maintaining good indoor ventilation; building up good body immunity by having a balanced diet, regular exercise and adequate rest; and avoiding smoking.
Ends/Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:45
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