HK launches infection drill at int'l airport

Last Updated(Beijing Time):2010-06-06 15:57

As many as 400 people from 20 organizations on Friday participated in an exercise at Hong Kong International Airport to test the readiness of government departments and related organizations to deal with emergencies related to severe infectious diseases. The drill, co-directed by the Department of Health and the Airport Authority of Hong Kong, examined and reviewed communications and co-ordination among various departments and organizations, epidemiological investigation, contact tracing and control measures. The exercise, which started at 11:00 p.m. local time on Thursday night, simulated an outbound flight carrying 100 passengers and crew. An air passenger fell ill shortly after the take-off, raising suspicion he was potentially carrying a severe infectious disease. The aircraft then landed and was directed to park at a remote bay. The Airport Emergency Center was activated to co-ordinate contingency responses. The sick passenger was sent to hospital while passengers and crew in close contact with him were taken to a temporary holding area in the airport's restricted zone. When the man was confirmed to be suffering from an infectious disease, the passengers and crew in close contact were quarantined. The exercise finished at 04:00 a.m. local time Friday when all contact tracing and response measures were satisfactorily completed and the situation was brought under control. Sarah Choi, the Head of Emergency Response and Information Branch of the Department of Health, said "the experience gained from the exercise will help Hong Kong to be better prepared for public health challenges arising from major infectious diseases." C K Ng, Deputy Director of Airport Operations of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, said that as the Hong Kong International airport remains one of the busiest airports worldwide, the local authority "must stay vigilant at all times against any potential outbreak of infectious diseases." Seventeen representatives from the health authorities of the Chinese mainland and Macao Special Administrative Region also participated in the drill as observers.