Measles Outbreak Not Due To Lax Controls: CE

Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Wednesday dismissed suggestions that lax border control measures are to blame for Hong Kong’s current measles outbreak which has infected at least 40 people here so far this year – many of them involving airport staff.

Medical sector legislator Pierre Chan put it to Lam during question time in Legco that there appears to be a ‘serious loophole’ in the city’s border control measures. And he asked whether the administration had any plans to require people who want to settle or work in Hong Kong to declare whether they suffer from any highly infectious diseases.

Lam laughed off his contention that lax controls are to blame for the outbreak. She said it’s very difficult to completely prevent such problems, as Hong Kong is a very busy port, where 74 million people had passed through the airport last year alone.

However, Lam said the administration “may consider” adopting more “preventative measures” when it comes to foreign domestic workers who come to work here, without elaborating.

She also noted that labour officials have already contacted various consulates to ask them to adopt preventative measures before workers come to work in Hong Kong.

Some infectious disease experts have previously urged the government to require foreign domestic helpers to prove they have been vaccinated against measles before they can work here.

The Philippines have declared measles outbreaks in various regions, with more then 23,000 cases reported so far this year. More than 300 have died.

Lam also backed her administration’s efforts to contain the outbreak, saying health officials have been on high alert, and are constantly adjusting disease control strategies to deal with the situation.

“I feel that at this point, we can say that the situation is under control,” she said.