H1N1 CONFIRMED IN HONG KONG: H1N1 UPDATE (5/2)

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000802 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR TFFLU01, CA/OCS/EP, M/PRI, SES-O, AAIT, OESIHA, MED, HHS FOR OGHA, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COUGH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR AMGT ASEC CASC KFLO KPAO KSAF MG PINR PREL, TBIO, HK, CH SUBJECT: H1N1 CONFIRMED IN HONG KONG: H1N1 UPDATE (5/2) REF: 0799 ¶1. Hong Kong Secretary for Health York Chow announced at a press conference at approximately 2100 HRS on May 1 (HKT) that Hong Kong has confirmed its first case of the H1N1 flu. With this confirmation, the Hong Kong Government (HKG) raised its Pandemic Response level to "Emergency," the highest of its three-tier system. The confirmed case is a 25-year-old Mexican national who flew to Hong Kong from Mexico, via a connecting flight from Shanghai on April 30 (he reportedly did not leave the airport in Shanghai). ¶2. The H1N1 patient successfully cleared health screening checks upon arrival in Hong Kong (he did not register a fever during passive screening or self-identify as ill) and traveled by taxi to the Metropark Hotel located in Wanchai, a popular tourist district on Hong Kong Island. Sometime after checking into the hotel, he fell ill and went to a local hospital, where he was admitted and tested for H1N1. He developed a fever in the hospital. He has since been transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital, the designated facility for H1N1 cases, along with two traveling companions and a local friend in Hong Kong. The subject is reportedly stable and responding to treatment; the three companions are reportedly symptom-free at this time. ¶3. In response to the confirmed H1N1, Hong Kong authorities have declared the Metropark Hotel a quarantine site and are not allowing any of the estimated 200 guests and 100 staff members to leave. The HKG is also attempting to trace and quarantine all crew and passengers sitting three rows in front or behind the contact case on the aircraft. Health Secretary Chow indicated the quarantine period could be up to seven days and appealed to those in the hotel to cooperate with health authorities. ¶4. Despite putting the city on the highest level of alert, Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang said all social activites and exhibitions will go ahead as normally scheduled and schools will remain open. The HKG specifically announced that an annual festival scheduled for May 2 which draws several thousand visitors together on a small off-shore island would go ahead as planned. ¶5. In response to the announced H1N1 confirmation and raising of the HKG Pandemic Response Level, Post's Emergency Action Committee (EAC) convened on Saturday, May 2 to review Department and Post-specific tripwires and determine additional courses of actions. After careful consideration, the EAC confirmed that Post is now at Tripwire 2, due to the confirmation of H1N1 in Hong Kong and the HKG's forward-leaning and prudent actions and announcements. As a result of this meeting and anticipating that additional H1N1 cases may be confirmed, the EAC determined that Post take the following actions, in addition to those we decided on April 30 (reftel): - An updated Warden Message was sent the morning of May 2 notifying the AMCIT community of the upgraded alert status and providing updated information and links to appropriate HKG, USG and State Department web sites. - Intensified bio-protection cleaning protocols will be initiated in Consulate facilities on Monday, May 4. MARUT