VZCZCXRO9790
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #0935 1410921
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 210921Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7668
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA IMMEDIATE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000935 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR TFFLU01M, CA/OCS/EP, M/PRI/SES-O, M/PRI/SES-O, 
AAIT, OES/IHA, OES/IHB, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID, HHS FOR OGHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR AMGT ASEC CASC KFLO KFLU KPAO KSAF MG
PINR, PREL, TBIO, EAGR, HK, CH 
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: HONG KONG H1N1 UPDATE (5/21), QUARANTINE 
POLICY CHANGES 
 
REF: TOKYO 1150 
 
¶1. (U) Effective May 21, Hong Kong will no longer mandatorily 
quarantine travelers who have been in contact with a 
confirmed H1N1 patient. Under new guidelines released May 20, 
travelers and others linked through direct or proximity 
contact to a confirmed H1N1 patient, who do not exhibit 
flu-like symptoms, will be asked to self-isolate at home and 
report daily for seven days to a designated clinic for a 
health check. While at the clinic they will be administered a 
daily prophylactic dose of oseltamivir (trade name Tamiflu) 
to minimize the chances of H1N1 infection.  Individuals who 
do not report to the clinic remain subject to quarantine. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Officials say this policy change is one of the final 
steps in the move from an H1N1 containment to a mitigation 
strategy.  Noting there are over 13,000 arrivals daily from 
the United Kingdom, Japan and North America, Health Secretary 
York Chow and other senior health officials have said it may 
now be only a short time until H1N1 infections in Hong Kong 
can no longer be contained and outbreaks occur in the 
community. The change in policy also reflects better 
scientific understanding of the virus and experience gained 
through treating the three H1N1-confirmed cases in Hong Kong. 
 A May 20 memorandum released to Hong Kong's Consular Corps 
further explains the change in policy by noting that none of 
the 400  individuals placed in quarantine in Hong Kong to 
date have developed H1N1. The relatively mild overall course 
of the disease and the availability of effective antivirals 
make this policy change possible.  Individuals currently 
under quarantine, including eight AMCITS, are expected to be 
released today as part of this policy adjustment. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In response to the rapid rise of H1N1 infections in 
Japan (Reftel), the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) 
has raised its six-tier response level from four to five. 
There are no confirmed H1N1 cases in Macau but the SAR's 
economy is heavily dependent on tourist travel, a significant 
percentage of which transit or originate in Hong Kong or 
Japan.  A family of five Philippine nationals (three of whom 
are also AMCITS) are in quarantine until May 23 for contact 
exposure after flying on the same flight as a Japanese 
student diagnosed with H1N1. 
DONOVAN