Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ15: Health declaration form
Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today
(November 18):
Question:
To combat the Influenza A (H1N1) epidemic, the authorities have, since April
this year, required all visitors and local residents to complete health
declaration forms when they enter the territory at various boundary control
points. However, such a measure has been criticised for wasting paper and having
limited effect on controlling and tracking the epidemic situation. In this
connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the total number of completed health declaration forms received at
various boundary control points since the implementation of the above measure;
(b) where the completed health declaration forms are stored at present, and
which government department is responsible for collating and keeping these
forms; when a confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1) is found to involve a person
who came from a place outside Hong Kong, whether the Government will initiate
the procedure of searching for the patient's health declaration form and
immigration record;
(c) for how long the completed health declaration forms will be kept before they
are destroyed; given that these declaration forms contain the personal data of
those who completed them, what measures the Government will adopt to safeguard
the data from being disclosed when destroying these declaration forms; and
(d) whether it will consider discontinuing the measure of requiring the
completion of health declaration forms; if it will, of the specific
arrangements, and how it will ensure that the virus will not be brought into
Hong Kong from other places; if not, whether it will assess the impact of such a
measure on the environment, and whether it will consider changing the current
requirement (e.g. only requiring those who have influenza symptoms when entering
the territory to complete the health declaration forms)?
Reply:
President,
(a) The human swine influenza has developed into a global epidemic and remains
prevalent in many places. Since the end of April this year, the Department of
Health (DH) has taken a series of surveillance and control measures at various
boundary control points, including temperature screening for people entering
Hong Kong and implementation of health declaration. Since the implementation of
the measures, the DH collects about 300,000 copies of health declaration form
each day at various boundary control points.
(b)&(c) Upon the collection of health declaration forms submitted by travellers,
staff of the DH will immediately examine the information reported, including
travel history, contact history and symptoms of the travellers, and conduct
screening and assessment with a view to providing them with appropriate health
advice. For travellers having flu-like symptoms or serious cases (involving
travellers with high fever, respiratory distress, etc.), the DH will refer them
to the Designated Flu Clinics or hospitals respectively for further examination
and treatment, and adopt prompt measures to prevent the spread of the virus to
those who have had contact with them. In the event of a serious outbreak, the DH
will trace and inform the travellers concerned.
The DH will ensure compliance with the requirements of the Personal Data
(Privacy) Ordinance in handling the health declaration forms. If the DH has
confirmed that no follow-up action or referral is required as regards the health
declarations made by individual travellers, arrangements would be made for these
health declaration forms to be destroyed three months after their collection.
The procedures will be carried out strictly in accordance with the Security
Regulations issued by the Government, including limiting the types of staff
permitted to have access to the data and keeping the declaration forms in sealed
containers, so as to ensure that there is no leakage of personal data.
(d) The number of cases of infection with human swine influenza has already
exceeded the number of people contracting seasonal influenza. Human swine
influenza has become the major cause of influenza in Hong Kong and is now
widespread in the community. The Government will continue to closely monitor the
changes in the risk of the human swine influenza, and keep under review the
surveillance and control measures, including the completion of health
declaration forms.
Currently, all health declaration forms are printed with recycled paper or paper
made from woodpulp derived from renewable forests with a view to minimising the
impact on the environment.
Ends/Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:55
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