Health officials will force suspected cases to get treatment if they don't co-operate
Health authorities yesterday said they would not hesitate to use their disease control powers if travellers failing temperature checks at the border did not seek immediate treatment.
The comment came ahead of medical staff today resuming temperature screening at the Lowu and Lok Ma Chau checkpoints.
The move is part of increased surveillance to prevent bird flu from being brought into the city, following confirmation of the first human cases of H5N1 on the mainland on Wednesday. A victim who died was a confirmed H5N1 case.
In the next two weeks, 24 temperature-screening machines will also be set up at Man Kam To, Shataukok, Hunghom railway station, the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Macau ferry terminal in Sheung Wan.
Volunteers from the Auxiliary Medical Services will staff the eight temperature scanners at Lowu and three at Lok Ma Chau.
The 11 machines are updates of older ones used during Sars in 2003. Instead of huge scanners above immigration counters, they are being placed on desktops.