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Hong Kong’s MERS defences tested as woman isolated

HONG KONG — A 22-year-old woman who developed a fever after returning from South Korea was today (June 10) rushed to isolation in Hong Kong and is being tested for MERS.

A sign telling passengers to guard against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is displayed at the departure hall of Hong Kong Airport in Hong Kong, China, June 9, 2015. Photo: Reuters

A sign telling passengers to guard against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is displayed at the departure hall of Hong Kong Airport in Hong Kong, China, June 9, 2015. Photo: Reuters

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HONG KONG — A 22-year-old woman who developed a fever after returning from South Korea was today (June 10) rushed to isolation in Hong Kong and is being tested for MERS.

The woman, who had a runny nose on Sunday and developed a fever yesterday, is now reportedly in a stable condition.

Hong Kong yesterda raised the red travel alert to South Korea, meaning that Hong Kongers are advised against non-essential travel to Korea. It also means more stringent border screening measures, and so far all suspected cases quarantined have tested negative for MERS.”

The city has learnt hard lessons, especially after the SARS outbreak in 2003.

At border checkpoints, all incoming visitors with a fever or respiratory infection have to undergo a medical exam on-the-spot. If they arrived from the Middle East or Korea with symptoms, they’re immediately treated as suspected cases.

Legislator Kwok Ka-ki, who is also a doctor, is worried that the risk of infection in Hong Kong is rising, despite the travel warning.

“Each month, we have more than 50,000 tourists going from here to South Korea, and perhaps at the same time, another 50,000 Koreans travelling to Hong Kong,” said Kwok. “So we have very frequent tourists; it’s only takes one of the 50,000 to be infected and Hong Kong will be at risk.”

However, the local travel council wasted no time cancelling all tours to South Korea until the end of June, with some 20,000 travellers affected.

The red alert came just one day after the government issued a separate advisory, raising the city’s preparedness level to ‘serious’. The council’s executive director said the two warnings should have been issued at the same time.

“I think the red travel warning helping us towards a decision to cancel a tour seems to be more effective,” said Hong Kong Travel Industry Council executive director Joseph Tung Yao-Chung. “Once we received the red travel alert, our members present in the meeting definitely could make a decision immediately.”

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific has also seen a drop in flight bookings, and said it would waive rebooking fees or issue a refund for trips between Hong Kong and South Korea until August.

In Macau, authorities have already raised its response level to “high alert”, the third highest of four levels. It has also issued a travel advisory against travelling to South Korea unless absolutely necessary.

So far, there have been five suspected MERS cases reported. All were tested negative. CHANNEL NEWSASIA

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