Travel as usual but keep good hygiene, health chief advises
People can travel as usual despite the rising global tally of swine flu victims, as the symptoms of the illness are relatively mild, the health minister says.
York Chow Yat-ngok was speaking yesterday after meeting representatives of the travel industry over the impact of flu on the trade. 'We think that although the number of swine flu cases is still increasing, the symptoms are quite mild and treatable,' the secretary for food and health said.
'Under such circumstances, we hope everyone can continue their own travel activities, normal travel activities,' Dr Chow said.
'The only advice I give to the public is, if they have any chronic illnesses, any disease or health condition that will affect their immunity, they should consider carefully before they travel. Otherwise, all travel and economic activities in Hong Kong should be maintained. We encourage them to make preparations for good hygiene while travelling.'
Dr Chow noted that the travel industry had suffered severely since the first reports of the spread of human swine flu and discovery of the first case in the city three weeks ago. His comments came a day after the government announced a change of strategy on swine flu - from containment at all costs to protection - after he returned from the World Health Assembly in Geneva.
Despite the reassurance on travel, he stressed that it was hard to determine when the city would see an outbreak and the government had prepared for a long-term battle.
'Since we are going to face such a long battle, we might as well try to make the best of our lives.
'We should try to maintain as normal lives as possible, but maintain precautions against infectious disease and look after our environment and personal hygiene.'
Travel Industry Council chairman Ronnie Ho Pak-ting, who said last Friday that the number of outbound and inbound arrivals had dropped 70 per cent, noted it was vital to boost confidence in travelling. 'We cannot allow any misleading information to deter people from travelling,' he said.
Tourism Board executive director Anthony Lau Chun-hon said the board would co-ordinate with the government in releasing information about the latest situation in Hong Kong to its overseas offices. It would also expand promotions on the mainland and abroad.
