Hong Kong authorities to carry out bedbug inspections at airport, urge public not to worry about South Korea bedbug outbreak being brought to city
- Undersecretary for Health Libby Lee says authorities aware of concerns the pests may end up in city, but tells residents that they pose little danger
- Steve Huen, executive director of travel agency EGL Tours, says none of his company’s trips have been cancelled and he believes it is a ‘short-term’ issue
Hong Kong authorities will carry out inspections at the airport and provide technical advice on bedbug control, while urging the public not to worry about an outbreak of the pests in South Korea being brought back to the city by travellers.
Undersecretary for Health Libby Lee Ha-yun on Wednesday said the government was aware of concerns that the pests might end up in the city, but insisted they posed little danger.
“From a medical perspective, bedbugs have no major impacts on people’s health,” she said at a Legislative Council meeting, adding authorities would soon provide advice on how to prevent and control the pests.
“This is a sanitation issue which needs to be tackled.”
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said on Wednesday night that it had boosted education on bedbugs for travellers at the airport and worked with health officials to remind airlines and the Airport Authority to pay attention to the environmental hygiene of aircraft and airports.