A student receives temperature check at a primary school in Hong Kong on Thursday, March 13 2008. -- PHOTO: AP
HONG KONG - HONG Kong health authorities tried on Thursday to calm public fears over a flu outbreak which has left four children dead and led the city to close all primary schools and kindergartens.
It was the first time schools in this Chinese city have been closed for a health scare since the 2003 Sars epidemic, and the order came late on Wednesday just hours after a flu-like illness was reported in nearly two-dozen schools.
'It was quite a difficult decision but we realise the number of infections is increasing,' Health Secretary York Chow told a news conference on Thursday morning, when the closures took effect.
'It's not something based entirely on public health data at the moment. But I think the public would appreciate that what we are doing might be a little drastic - but it's reassuring to the community,' he said.
All primary schools, kindergartens and nurseries in Hong Kong were shut down. But the announcement came too late for many parents, who turned up at closed schools on Thursday morning with their children in tow.
Cho Yiu Catholic Primary School
At the Cho Yiu Catholic Primary School, nine students arrived early on Thursday. School staff took their temperature and gave them masks. The students read picture books instead of attending class.
WHO welcomes precautionary measures
HONG KONG - PETER Cordingley, a WHO spokesman for Western Pacific, on Thursday welcomed the Hong Kong government's measures.
'This is not a matter to inform the WHO. It's a seasonal influenza; it's nasty, that's all it is, It's not SARS-related or bird-flu related. It happens every year,' he said. 'The government isn't overreacting. We are talking about the city which was paralysed with the infectious disease by SARS.'
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'I'm worried that I'll get infected. Many classmates have been infected with the flu. I'm afraid,' said 9-year-old Winnie Ting, who was already wearing a mask before arriving at school.
Principal Chan Kwok Ming said on average 20 students took sick leave every day in recent days.
The schools had been expected to start their Easter Holiday in a little over a week, though the date varies with each school. Mr Chow said bringing the holiday forward would help reduce cross infection among school children and calm public fears.
The outbreak has conjured memories of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or Sars, a pneumonia-like virus which killed almost 300 people in Hong Kong five years ago and set off international health concerns.
A seven-year-old boy who died Tuesday after suffering respiratory problems tested positive for a flu strain known as Influenza A or H1N1 - a virus which was also found in a 21-month-old who died last month.
Two other children have died after suffering flu-like symptoms, and a three-year-old currently in hospital has also tested positive for Influenza A.
On Wednesday, health authorities reported outbreaks of a flu-like illness in 23 schools involving 184 people.
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