The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region announced Friday that it has activated the Alert Level of the three-level emergency response system relating to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

The move followed the confirmation of two SARS cases and two suspected SARS cases in the Chinese mainland by the Ministry of Health on Friday.

An emergency response command structure involving senior officials from the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, the Departmentof Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA) has been put in place.

They would monitor the developments closely and decide on appropriate action in anticipation of new developments.

According to the emergency response system on SARS, Alert Levelwould be activated when there was a laboratory-confirmed SARS caseoutside Hong Kong.

Chief of the Center for Health Protection PY Leung said the DH would maintain close contact with their mainland counterparts about the situation.

"As a preventive measure, the DH is distributing health alert cards to passengers arriving from Beijing and Anhui province by air and rail," he said.

Additional healthcare staff have also been deployed to the airport and Hung Hom through-train terminal to watch out for sick people among these passengers, in addition to the ongoing stringent health screening measures, including temperature screening and health declaration.

All inbound flights from these two places and through-trains from Beijing have also been asked to broadcast relevant messages to the passengers.

"Health information leaflets about the situation in Beijing andAnhui and health advice are being distributed to passengers comingfrom and leaving for these two places," Leung said.

The HA, private hospitals, all doctors, healthcare professionals and laboratory personnel in Hong Kong were being informed of the situation.

"They are reminded to maintain vigilance in disease reporting,"said Leung.

"We are also sending letters to all traditional Chinese medicine practitioners to advise them to be vigilant," he said.

"Even though Hong Kong has been free from SARS since last June,the general public is reminded to remain vigilant and observe goodpersonal hygiene," Leung added.

Source: Xinhua