Press Releases

Health declaration at all ports starts tomorrow afternoon

A Government spokesman said that all passengers arriving in Hong Kong will have to complete a health declaration from tomorrow (March 29, Saturday) afternoon onwards.

"All passengers arriving by air, sea or at our land boundary control points will have to submit the completed health declaration before entering Hong Kong. We will deploy additional staff to collect the declaration forms and help ensure the new measure is implemented with minimum inconvenience to passengers," the spokesman said.

This is one of the four measures announced by the Chief Executive to tackle Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome yesterday (March 27).

"Arrangements have been made at the airport, ferry terminals and land boundary control points to collect the health declaration forms.

"Airlines will hand out declaration forms to passengers arriving at the Hong Kong International Airport from tomorrow afternoon. Passengers can either complete the form on board the aircraft or use tables provided in the arrival hall of the Terminal Building," the spokesman said.

Passengers arriving by sea will be handed health declaration forms by ferry companies on board vessels.

The health declaration will be collected by officers of the Auxiliary Medical Service at the airport and at the ferry terminals with passengers arriving by sea from outside Hong Kong.

"We note that the largest number of passengers arriving in Hong Kong daily do so via the Lo Wu and other land boundary control points. The Government will deploy additional staff at these control points to help implement this measure," he said.

"In addition, our Mainland counterparts at Lo Wu have agreed to help distribute the declaration forms to passengers bound for Hong Kong. The KCRC and cross-boundary bus company will also help distribute the forms to through train passengers and bus passengers.

"We hope passengers will complete the form before they arrive at the arrival halls so that the form-collection and immigration clearance procedures can be smoothly conducted," the spokesman said.

"This will help reduce congestion at arrival halls and will enable passengers to complete immigration procedures quickly.

"Because of the new measure, the waiting time for the passengers and processing time by the control officers may take longer. We appeal to all passengers for their understanding and patience while travelling through the control points."

At the land boundary control points, the health declaration forms will be collected by immigration officers when they clear passengers for entry into Hong Kong.

"Passengers who indicate that they have symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome or feel ill in any way at any control point will be examined by a designated health declaration post.

"If, on further examination, it is likely that the passenger is infected with the disease, the health declaration post will send the passenger to hospital according to proper procedures." the spokesman explained.

The above measure is part of the package announced by the Chief Executive yesterday to tackle the disease, including -

*requiring people who have come into close contact with those suffering from the disease to report each day for check-up at a designated clinic for 10 days, not to go to work/school and staying at home as far as possible;

*setting up as soon as possible a liaison mechanism with Mainland authorities which will further strengthen Hong Kong's co-operation in the areas of the state of the disease, clinical treatment as well as control and cause of the disease; and

*suspending classes in all secondary schools, primary schools, kindergartens and day classes of the Vocational Training Council from March 29 to April 6.

End/Friday, March 28, 2003
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