VZCZCXRO6046
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #1567 2311021
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191021Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8357
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS HONG KONG 001567 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR CA/OCS/EP, OES/IHA, HHS FOR OGHA, CDC ATLANTA FOR 
CCID AND COUGH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT CASC KFLO KFLU HK CH
SUBJECT: H1N1 CASES FORCE CLOSURE OF TWO HONG KONG 
CHILDCARE FACILITIES 
 
REF: A. HONG KONG 935 
     ¶B. HONG KONG 1065 
     ¶C. HONG KONG 1371 
 
¶1.  Hong Kong authorities have ordered the closure of a 
special school and a child-care center after 16 children and 
two staff members developed flu-like symptoms and tested 
positive for H1N1 influenza.  The Heep Hong Society Wan Tsui 
Center for disabled children was closed for seven days after 
six students and two female staff members developed symptoms. 
 Three of the students have been confirmed to have H1N1, with 
one hospitalized in stable condition.  Ten pre-school aged 
children at the MacLehose Centre Joyful Children World 
daycare facility in Kowloon also developed flu-like symptoms, 
with three students confirmed to have H1N1, two of whom have 
been hospitalized. 
 
¶2.  Confirmed H1N1 infections in Hong Kong have been steadily 
increasing since late July.  The Hong Kong Hospital Authority 
announced a record 247 new confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza 
on August 18, including 13 hospital staff members.  These new 
cases bring the total number of confirmed local infections to 
7,561, with 3,890 of those cases being confirmed in August. 
The overwhelming majority of these cases are mild, do not 
require hospitalization and patients recover in a matter of 
days.  Hong Kong currently has 64 patients hospitalized with 
H1N1, with one in serious and six in critical condition. 
 
¶3.  Comment: International schools in Hong Kong re-opened for 
the fall term this week and most Hong Kong public schools are 
scheduled to re-open in the next two weeks.  Current 
government protocols call for school closures when the sick 
leave  rate reaches 10 percent, or one percent of students 
are hospitalized with H1N1, or two or more students are in 
intensive care, or the death of an otherwise healthy student. 
 With the increasingly rapid spread of H1N1 cases over the 
past four weeks, schools are likely to face government 
mandated closures if current pandemic mitigation protocols 
remain in effect.  End Comment. 
MARUT