H1N1 CASES FORCE CLOSURE OF TWO HONG KONG

UNCLAS HONG KONG 001567 SIPDIS STATE FOR CA/OCS/EP, OES/IHA, HHS FOR OGHA, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COUGH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT CASC KFLO KFLU HK CH SUBJECT: H1N1 CASES FORCE CLOSURE OF TWO HONG KONG CHILDCARE FACILITIES REF: A. HONG KONG 935 ¶B. HONG KONG 1065 ¶C. HONG KONG 1371 ¶1. Hong Kong authorities have ordered the closure of a special school and a child-care center after 16 children and two staff members developed flu-like symptoms and tested positive for H1N1 influenza. The Heep Hong Society Wan Tsui Center for disabled children was closed for seven days after six students and two female staff members developed symptoms. Three of the students have been confirmed to have H1N1, with one hospitalized in stable condition. Ten pre-school aged children at the MacLehose Centre Joyful Children World daycare facility in Kowloon also developed flu-like symptoms, with three students confirmed to have H1N1, two of whom have been hospitalized. ¶2. Confirmed H1N1 infections in Hong Kong have been steadily increasing since late July. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority announced a record 247 new confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza on August 18, including 13 hospital staff members. These new cases bring the total number of confirmed local infections to 7,561, with 3,890 of those cases being confirmed in August. The overwhelming majority of these cases are mild, do not require hospitalization and patients recover in a matter of days. Hong Kong currently has 64 patients hospitalized with H1N1, with one in serious and six in critical condition. ¶3. Comment: International schools in Hong Kong re-opened for the fall term this week and most Hong Kong public schools are scheduled to re-open in the next two weeks. Current government protocols call for school closures when the sick leave rate reaches 10 percent, or one percent of students are hospitalized with H1N1, or two or more students are in intensive care, or the death of an otherwise healthy student. With the increasingly rapid spread of H1N1 cases over the past four weeks, schools are likely to face government mandated closures if current pandemic mitigation protocols remain in effect. End Comment. MARUT