Express rail train taken out of service after passenger intercepted in Hong Kong with suspected Mers symptoms
- Man in question, a foreign national, was sent to hospital by ambulance
- Areas he passed through in West Kowloon terminus were cleaned and disinfected
An express rail train was taken out of service on Sunday night after a passenger suspected to be suffering from the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) was intercepted in Hong Kong.
The man, a foreign national, was found to have a fever and suspected Mers symptoms as he passed through the Department of Health's Port Health Office at the cross-border rail link’s West Kowloon terminal at about 6.20pm, according to the MTR Corporation.
Both he and a companion were sent to hospital by ambulance, and areas he passed through at the terminal, including escalators and ticket gates, were washed down with a bleach and water solution.
“Staff at West Kowloon followed the established procedures based on Centre for Health Protection guidelines and immediately arranged for the cleaning and disinfection of areas of the station where the passenger had passed or stayed,” an MTR Corp spokesman said.
Commuters who had come in contact with the passenger in question or taken the same train as him were advised to wear a face mask and seek medical attention if they felt unwell.
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The man had travelled to Hong Kong from Guangzhou South via the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link in car No 11, train G6537, arriving at 6.18pm.