Managers of an estate in Lam Tin, where a boy is suspected to have contracted bird flu, yesterday took a chainsaw to a tree outside the boy's kindergarten over fears that birds which perch there may be linked to the infection.
This came a day after Department of Health inspectors took samples of bird droppings from around the tree, outside the Yuen Yuen Kindergarten in Ping Tin Estate, for testing. More samples were taken yesterday.
'Even though the bird droppings haven't been proved to be directly linked with the case, it is good prevention,' said Chan Cheong, a member of the Kwun Tong District Council. 'We would definitely not agree with chopping the tree all together.'
Branches of the tree, which is more than 30 years old, were trimmed so that they do not hang over the side of the playground.
Mr Chan said some residents expressed disappointment about the trimming of the tree - but most parents of pupils at the kindergarten were happy to see it done.
Most students at Yuen Yuen Kindergarten returned to class yesterday after 56 of its 211 children called in absent on Wednesday, a day after the bird flu case was revealed.
