Showing posts with label Ko Wing-man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ko Wing-man. Show all posts

Monday, December 01, 2014

Hong Kong: Dr. Ko Wing-man On H7N9

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With the arrival of cooler weather – which favors the transmission of avian flu - and the recent announcements of several H7N9 cases on the mainland, Hong Kong’s SFH (Secretary of Food & Health) Dr. Ko Wing-man issued a statement today warning that Hong Kong is not immune to seeing more cases this winter.

 

(machine translation)

Ensure H7N9 not spread in the community

December 01, 2014

Secretary for food and health, Dr Ko Wing-man said, as the temperature decreased, the avian flu virus is more active, it is expected that sporadic cases will continue to occur in the South of the Mainland, or another incoming H7N9 cases in Hong Kong. Authorities will continue to closely monitor the locally bred chicken and live poultry supplied to Hong Kong from the Mainland to ensure that viruses do not spread in the community.

Dr Ko Wing-man told the media that today, following the Mainland notification received the day before, Dongguan confirmed after the winter first H7N9 case, today's media have reported new cases in Zhejiang, proved as temperatures drop, the virus is more active, and moved south.

Dr Ko Wing-man said the habits of Hong Kong people still have to live poultry markets, it cannot be ruled out any incoming H7N9 cases but H7N9 not from person to person, so even if the case of the passed, as long as you provide the appropriate treatment, should not spread in the community.

Referring to Admiralty conflict, he said, the Hospital Authority has a contingency mechanism, with relevant government departments, large clashes that led to dozens of serious injuries; he also said that impact of violence against some of the demonstrators were disappointed and regret, more worried about the escalation of violence, causing a number of casualties.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Hong Kong Suspends Live Poultry Imports As Live Markets Re-Open

Photo: ©FAO/Tariq Tinazay

Credit FAO

 

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Hong Kong’s 3-week suspension of live poultry market trade comes to an end today, and with that comes an announcement from Secretary of Food & Health Dr. Ko Wing-man that an ongoing suspension of live poultry imports will remain in place until facilities for holding and testing imported poultry for avian flu can be created.

 

While some municipalities on the mainland have announced plans to move away from live poultry markets (see VDU Blog Shanghai and Hangzhou to permanently stop live poultry markets), Hong Kong plans to segregate their locally grown poultry from imported birds, in hopes of keeping their markets open.

 


We’ve brief video announcement, along with a report from News.gov.hk.

 

Live poultry imports suspended

February 18, 2014

Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing Man says live poultry imports will be suspended, but the Cheung Sha Wan wholesale poultry market will resume trading after midnight tonight.

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Speaking to the media today, Dr Ko said the Government is looking for a suitable site for poultry awaiting bird flu test results, and will have to consider planning and land use as well as local impact.

 

The import of day-old chicks and chilled and frozen poultry products will not be affected, he said.

 

On the Cheung Sha Wan wholesale poultry market's re-opening, following a ban imposed on January 27 when a batch of live chickens from Guangdong was confirmed to have H7N9, Dr Ko said the Government is co-operating with Mainland authorities to trace the source of infection.

 

In another CHP Press Release, Dr. Ko Wing-man is quoted as saying:

 

“We have estimated that the planning, actual design and construction work of such a facility would at least take a few months' time.”

 

Meanwhile we’ve seen a precipitous drop in the number of H7N9 cases being reported from the Mainland – coming just days after demands from the powerful poultry lobby to cease reporting individual cases (see Sandman & Lanard On China’s H7N9 Risk Communications).


Hopefully, this drop in cases is due to the recent closure of live markets, and not political pressure to reduce the economic impact on China’s poultry industry.