Press Releases

Disinfection of Block E of Amoy Gardens starts

The Government starts disinfection operation in Block E of Amoy Gardens today (April 7) at all common areas of the building.

A Government spokesman said staff of the management company under the supervision of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) carried out the disinfection work at the common areas including the lift lobbies on every floor of the building.

As for individual flats, Block E residents who are staying in the three camps at Lady MacLehose, Lei Yue Mun and Sai Kung can entrust the keys to the staff who would disinfect their premises tomorrow (April 8) morning.

Each household may send a representative to witness the disinfection work. Transport and protective clothing will be arranged for them.

For residents who have moved away from Block E before the isolation order was imposed, specific time slots in the afternoon of April 8 and on April 9 will be allocated to them for the disinfection of their flats.

Likewise, they may hand over keys to staff concerned at the ground floor of Block E for the disinfection and each household may send a representative to witness the work. Protective clothing will be arranged.

The spokesman said FEHD staff would disinfect the kitchen and the toilet of each flat with special attention being paid to the cleansing of sinks, bathtubs and drainage points.

On the disinfection exercise, the spokesman said: "Although scientific evidences show that the causative agent of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome does not survive longer than a few hours in the environment, it can survive much longer in the presence of organic materials.

"Hence there is a need to pay particular attention to points where sewage is drained.

"Guidelines on disinfection of households will be distributed to the residents."

In response to enquiries on the isolation period ending midnight of April 9 for Block E residents who have been removed to the three camps, the spokesman said each case would have to be assessed individually by medical officers of the Department of Health.

End/Monday, April 7, 2003
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