TFFLU01: HONG KONG H1N1 UPDATE (5/21),QUARANTINE

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000935 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR TFFLU01M, CA/OCS/EP, M/PRI/SES-O, M/PRI/SES-O, AAIT, OES/IHA, OES/IHB, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID, HHS FOR OGHA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR AMGT ASEC CASC KFLO KFLU KPAO KSAF MG PINR, PREL, TBIO, EAGR, HK, CH SUBJECT: TFFLU01: HONG KONG H1N1 UPDATE (5/21),QUARANTINE POLICY CHANGES REF: TOKYO 1150 ¶1. (U) Effective May 21, Hong Kong will no longer mandatorily quarantine travelers who have been in contact with a confirmed H1N1 patient. Under new guidelines released May 20, travelers and others linked through direct or proximity contact to a confirmed H1N1 patient, who do not exhibit flu-like symptoms, will be asked to self-isolate at home and report daily for seven days to a designated clinic for a health check. While at the clinic they will be administered a daily prophylactic dose of oseltamivir (trade name Tamiflu) to minimize the chances of H1N1 infection. Individuals who do not report to the clinic remain subject to quarantine. ¶2. (SBU) Officials say this policy change is one of the final steps in the move from an H1N1 containment to a mitigation strategy. Noting there are over 13,000 arrivals daily from the United Kingdom, Japan and North America, Health Secretary York Chow and other senior health officials have said it may now be only a short time until H1N1 infections in Hong Kong can no longer be contained and outbreaks occur in the community. The change in policy also reflects better scientific understanding of the virus and experience gained through treating the three H1N1-confirmed cases in Hong Kong. A May 20 memorandum released to Hong Kong's Consular Corps further explains the change in policy by noting that none of the 400 individuals placed in quarantine in Hong Kong to date have developed H1N1. The relatively mild overall course of the disease and the availability of effective antivirals make this policy change possible. Individuals currently under quarantine, including eight AMCITS, are expected to be released today as part of this policy adjustment. ¶3. (SBU) In response to the rapid rise of H1N1 infections in Japan (Reftel),the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) has raised its six-tier response level from four to five. There are no confirmed H1N1 cases in Macau but the SAR's economy is heavily dependent on tourist travel, a significant percentage of which transit or originate in Hong Kong or Japan. A family of five Philippine nationals (three of whom are also AMCITS) are in quarantine until May 23 for contact exposure after flying on the same flight as a Japanese student diagnosed with H1N1. DONOVAN