19 May 2009
A spokesman for the Department of Health said in the 24 hours to 12 noon today (May 19), 32 people were required to undergo human swine influenza (Influenza A H1N1) testing.
"They are in stable condition and laboratory results of their specimens are pending," the spokesman said.
So far, a total of 198 cases reported to the Centre of Health Protection (CHP) for human swine influenza testing were received. Among them, 163 were tested negative.
Up to 4pm today, the CHP's hotline 2125 1111 has received 2,598 calls since it was set up on April 30.
Regarding the confirmed human swine influenza case in Guangzhou involving a 59-year-old man (the patient) who had stayed on the 18th floor of Royal Plaza Hotel in Mong Kok between late evening of May 13 and noon of May 15 (the period) before returning to the Mainland, a total of 51 guests might have stayed on the same floor of the hotel during the period.
Thirty-seven guests had left Hong Kong. One of them returned today and has been put under quarantine.
In sum, five guests and two staff of the hotel are currently under quarantine in Hong Kong. CHP is still tracing the other guests.
According to the information provided by the health authorities of Guangdong Province, a total of six passengers, who sat in the 7th cabin of the through train (T810) which the patient had taken on May 15, might stay in Hong Kong. CHP has identified two passengers and is trying to contact the other four.
Also, CHP has already located the taxi driver who had taken the patient from the hotel to Hung Hom Station.
So far, five guests and two staff members of the hotel, two passengers on board the through train and the taxi driver have been taken to Lady MacLehose Holiday Village for quarantine. All of them are asymptomatic.
The spokesman urged people who had stayed on the 18th floor of the hotel during the period and those who sat in the same cabin of the through train on May 15 to call CHP hotline 2125 1111 to facilitate follow up investigation.
A daily update on swine influenza in humans is now available on the CHP website (
www.chp.gov.hk
).