Vigilant and Prepared Check list of Measures against SARS

1. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Vigilant and PreparedChecklist of Measures against SARS Dr E K Yeoh Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food 22 September 2003

2. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Maintaining Alertness • “We have to prepare on the assumption that this (SARS) will come back.” Dr Lee Jong-wook, Director-General of the WHO The battle against SARS is not over yet. We have to remain vigilant and ensure that a high level of preparedness is maintained on all fronts of the community.

3. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Collective Efforts • We will only win the battle against SARS if the Government and all sectors of the community take part in the fight. • The Government has already put in place a comprehensive strategy to guard against SARS on various fronts.

4. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region A Three-pronged Approach • Preventing resurgence of the disease and strengthening our preparedness: Comprehensive & Cross-Community Measures • Maintaining surveillance for the disease：　Close & Effective System • Emergency response system to combat any SARS outbreak：Swift & Responsive Actions

5. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Comprehensive Preventive Measures

6. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Sectors Covered (1) The Health Care Sector • The Public Health Sector • Private Practitioners • Private Hospitals

7. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Sectors Covered (2) • Schools • Residential Care Homes for the Elders and People with Disabilities • Elders in the Community • Other Welfare Service Units • Public Housing Estates • Private Property Management

8. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Sectors Covered (3) • Workplace • Public Transport Operators • Aviation Sector • Tourism Sector • Food Premises and Public Markets • Control of Wild Animals • Public Education

9. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Actions on Preparedness • 300 single-bed rooms with tailor-made isolation facilities available. • Another some 1,290 isolation beds would be provided in 9 acute hospitals. About 900 would be completed in October. • Training for health care workers in infection control: 1,860 classes conducted between March & September. • Drills on emergency response will be conducted. • Preparation for the setting up of a CDC-type organisation underway. • Research Council established – applications to begin next week.

10. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Maintaining Close Surveillance

11. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Monitoring the Local Scene • Facilitate timely reporting of potential SARS case to the public health authority by various sources • Enhance surveillance on influenza-like illness and pneumonia amongst patients, hospital staff and residents of institutions • Release timely and accurate information on SARS-related matters to the local community

12. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Liaison with Overseas Partners • Continue to work closely with the Mainland and Macao health authorities • Maintain close communication with the WHO, health authorities of other countries and the local consular corps

13. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Plans to Combat the Disease

14. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Contingency Planning We have already prepared an overall government emergency response mechanism that provides for: • a clear command structure for making strategic decisions, • distinct roles and responsibilities for different parties, • the line of command in launching operations, and • the response time where appropriate.

15. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Levels of Response • Alert Level: activated when there is laboratory confirmed SARS cases outside Hong Kong, or there is a SARS Alert (WHO definition) in Hong Kong • Level 1: activated when there is one or more confirmed SARS cases in Hong Kong occurring in a sporadic manner • Level 2: activated when there are signs of local transmission of the disease

16. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Alert Level At this level, the HWFB, DH and HA will trigger appropriate response, including • close surveillance of high-risk groups; • proactively seek first-hand information about the disease; • remind all sectors to adhere to preventive measures; • keep the community closely informed of development; and • where there are suspected cases, isolate relevant patients and monitor their progress closely.

17. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Levels 1 & 2 A clear command structure

18. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Steering Committee (1) At Levels 1 & 2, a Steering Committee will assume command.

19. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Steering Committee (2) At Level 1, the Steering Committee will:- • formulate overall disease control strategy and make decisions on measures that should be taken; • co-ordinate the work of major players (e.g., DH, HA & the universities) in combating the diseases; and • formulate communication strategy to keep the community and the media fully informed of the situation.

20. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Steering Committee (3) At Level 2, the Steering Committee will:- • formulate overall disease control strategy, assess the socio-economic impact of the disease on Hong Kong, and make decisions on measures that should be taken; • direct mobilisation of resources and urgent legislative amendments where necessary; and • formulate communication strategy to keep the community and the media fully informed of the situation.

21. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Roles of HWFB • Co-ordinate inter-departmental response actions as required by the Steering Committee; • Assess the resource requirement and secure the necessary resources and to oversee the adequacy of infrastructural support; • Prepare urgent legislative amendments; • Co-ordinate internal and external communication; and • Re-assess Government’s preparedness and take necessary actions to augment any inadequacy.

22. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Roles of DH (1) • Implement public health measures (e.g., contact tracing and surveillance) to control the spread of disease in the community; • Review and enhance port health measures; • Liaise with private hospitals and practitioners to ensure their preparedness;

23. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Roles of DH (2) • Communicate with and disseminate latest information to hospitals and medical professionals in the private sector; • Ensure rapid and accurate diagnostic laboratory support; and • Liaise with other affected areas and collect early intelligence on SARS cases outside Hong Kong.

24. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Roles of HA (1) • Maintain an efficient surveillance for the detection of SARS in the public hospital system; • Diagnose and provide appropriate medical care to SARS patients; • Report SARS cases to DH promptly for implementation of public health measures

25. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Roles of HA (2) • Coordinate infection control measures, and invesigate and manage outbreak occurred in public hospitals; • Ensure adequate supply of drugs, Personal Protection Equipment and other consumables in the public hospital system; ad • Communicate closely with the private health care sector on the clinical management of SARS cases.

26. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Data Co-ordination • A Data Management Centre (DMC) will be set up to collate all facts, figures and statistics related to local cases • Data collated by the DMC will be fed to the Steering Committee for decision making purposes and the formulation of a communication strategy • Jointly staffed by designated DH and HA officers

27. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Response Time of Actions • Within 12 hours of receiving confirmation of the patient’s disease, DH will issue legal order to require home confinement of all household contacts of the patient. • Within 24 hours of receiving confirmation of the patient’s disease, a multi-disciplinary response team led by DH will disinfect any household with a SARS patient and inspect the building concerned.

28. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Communication • A highly transparent communication strategy • Daily updates of the situation to the public and media at Levels 1 & 2 • Keeping other countries informed of Hong Kong’s situation through consular corps and our overseas Economic & Trade Offices

29. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region The Way Forward

30. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Continual Improvement • The fine-tuning of the present checklist of measures will be a continual process, as we gain more knowledge on the disease and on infection and outbreak control • We will also make reference to the advice and recommendations given by the SARS Expert Committee in its final report (which will be published in October 2003) • Views from the community are welcomed

31. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thank You