SARS in HK
Jul 25, 2003 | 2:03 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,987
SARS is pretty history in Hong Kong for now. If you are transiting through Hong Kong, there should be no problems.
Yes, temperature check is still conducted in Hong Kong. But don't worry! The whole process is done within minutes.
Carfield
Yes, temperature check is still conducted in Hong Kong. But don't worry! The whole process is done within minutes.
Carfield
Jul 25, 2003 | 2:03 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Singapore
Posts: 274
No need to worry about SARS in Hong Kong as
patients had tested negative for the respiratory virus
From today's South China Morning Post:
*** 18 patients in stable condition after Sars scare ***
Eighteen people from a mental institution in Hong Kong who were taken to hospital to undergo tests for Sars were in stable condition on Friday with preliminary results showing all patients had tested negative for the respiratory virus, officials said.
patients had tested negative for the respiratory virus
From today's South China Morning Post:
*** 18 patients in stable condition after Sars scare ***
Eighteen people from a mental institution in Hong Kong who were taken to hospital to undergo tests for Sars were in stable condition on Friday with preliminary results showing all patients had tested negative for the respiratory virus, officials said.
Jul 25, 2003 | 2:39 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,011
All temperature checks (arrival, departure, transit) at HKG are now performed with thermal cameras before passport control (security in case of transit). This procedure is non-intrusive and does not impact on the time required to clear arrival and departure formalities. Prior to reaching the passport control checkpoints, passengers are required to complete and submit a Health Declaration Form.
Jul 25, 2003 | 5:52 am
#5
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: None any more
Posts: 11,017
Whichever news agency flooded the world with this should be sued for damages by all those who will likely lose as a result.
18 people living in an institution at the height of the influenza season in HK caught influenza. They are amongst the many thousands of others who have flu in HKG at the moment. (A disease from which hundreds of thousands of people DIE every year in the USA alone)
As a precaution, swabs are taken for SARS despite there being no real reason to do so. This is not news.
18 people living in an institution at the height of the influenza season in HK caught influenza. They are amongst the many thousands of others who have flu in HKG at the moment. (A disease from which hundreds of thousands of people DIE every year in the USA alone)
As a precaution, swabs are taken for SARS despite there being no real reason to do so. This is not news.
Jul 25, 2003 | 6:16 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Given our experience and the reality here in Toronto, I can only sympathize with publc health officials in Hong Kong and Singapore -- and those two cities -- that have been dealing with the fallout from the mainland's callous dealings with this outbreak. None of our cities were affected by SARS in the way the media overplayed their stories. It was not a plague rampaging through the streets affecting everyone in these cities. Outbreaks were contained and appropriate measures taken to control the outbreak. While serious, SARS was far less a pandemic than the annual outbreak of norm flu strains.
Three city economies have been devastated, particularly their tourist industries, plus three major world airlines brought down, one seriously.
Yes, the media have totally distorted the story, which had the Iraqi liberation not gone so quickly and relatively uneventfully, SARS would hardly have made it to the front page and into the first 5-minutes in newscasts.
It is too bad the media can never be brought to task for their incompetence and irresponsibility. If governments attempt this, they are called censors and suspected for political motives. There is no accountability when it comes to the media today, and the levels even the blue chip media have now sunk to are so low, we all live in peril from similar events.
WHO shares some degree of blame, having recently been given the powers to declare health emergencies. In much the same way UN bodies have distorted Human Rights for political objectives, we have seen the same games from Geneva.
But the truly culpable party that should be sued and brought to task is the corrupt regime in Beijing that tried to cover up the original outbreak and refused the WHO access to the original cell of SARS.
Rant over.
BTW I have two trips to HKG booked for the fall, and likely one to SIN. As a Torontonian, I guess I like to live on the edge. I also eat Alberta beef!
[This message has been edited by Shareholder (edited 07-25-2003).]
Three city economies have been devastated, particularly their tourist industries, plus three major world airlines brought down, one seriously.
Yes, the media have totally distorted the story, which had the Iraqi liberation not gone so quickly and relatively uneventfully, SARS would hardly have made it to the front page and into the first 5-minutes in newscasts.
It is too bad the media can never be brought to task for their incompetence and irresponsibility. If governments attempt this, they are called censors and suspected for political motives. There is no accountability when it comes to the media today, and the levels even the blue chip media have now sunk to are so low, we all live in peril from similar events.
WHO shares some degree of blame, having recently been given the powers to declare health emergencies. In much the same way UN bodies have distorted Human Rights for political objectives, we have seen the same games from Geneva.
But the truly culpable party that should be sued and brought to task is the corrupt regime in Beijing that tried to cover up the original outbreak and refused the WHO access to the original cell of SARS.
Rant over.
BTW I have two trips to HKG booked for the fall, and likely one to SIN. As a Torontonian, I guess I like to live on the edge. I also eat Alberta beef!
[This message has been edited by Shareholder (edited 07-25-2003).]
Jul 25, 2003 | 8:33 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,588
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Shareholder:
Given our experience and the reality here in Toronto, I can only sympathize with publc health officials in Hong Kong and Singapore -- and those two cities -- that have been dealing with the fallout from the mainland's callous dealings with this outbreak. None of our cities were affected by SARS in the way the media overplayed their stories. It was not a plague rampaging through the streets affecting everyone in these cities. Outbreaks were contained and appropriate measures taken to control the outbreak. While serious, SARS was far less a pandemic than the annual outbreak of norm flu strains.
Three city economies have been devastated, particularly their tourist industries, plus three major world airlines brought down, one seriously.
Yes, the media have totally distorted the story, which had the Iraqi liberation not gone so quickly and relatively uneventfully, SARS would hardly have made it to the front page and into the first 5-minutes in newscasts.
It is too bad the media can never be brought to task for their incompetence and irresponsibility. If governments attempt this, they are called censors and suspected for political motives. There is no accountability when it comes to the media today, and the levels even the blue chip media have now sunk to are so low, we all live in peril from similar events.
WHO shares some degree of blame, having recently been given the powers to declare health emergencies. In much the same way UN bodies have distorted Human Rights for political objectives, we have seen the same games from Geneva.
But the truly culpable party that should be sued and brought to task is the corrupt regime in Beijing that tried to cover up the original outbreak and refused the WHO access to the original cell of SARS.
Rant over.
BTW I have two trips to HKG booked for the fall, and likely one to SIN. As a Torontonian, I guess I like to live on the edge. I also eat Alberta beef!
[This message has been edited by Shareholder (edited 07-25-2003).]</font>
Given our experience and the reality here in Toronto, I can only sympathize with publc health officials in Hong Kong and Singapore -- and those two cities -- that have been dealing with the fallout from the mainland's callous dealings with this outbreak. None of our cities were affected by SARS in the way the media overplayed their stories. It was not a plague rampaging through the streets affecting everyone in these cities. Outbreaks were contained and appropriate measures taken to control the outbreak. While serious, SARS was far less a pandemic than the annual outbreak of norm flu strains.
Three city economies have been devastated, particularly their tourist industries, plus three major world airlines brought down, one seriously.
Yes, the media have totally distorted the story, which had the Iraqi liberation not gone so quickly and relatively uneventfully, SARS would hardly have made it to the front page and into the first 5-minutes in newscasts.
It is too bad the media can never be brought to task for their incompetence and irresponsibility. If governments attempt this, they are called censors and suspected for political motives. There is no accountability when it comes to the media today, and the levels even the blue chip media have now sunk to are so low, we all live in peril from similar events.
WHO shares some degree of blame, having recently been given the powers to declare health emergencies. In much the same way UN bodies have distorted Human Rights for political objectives, we have seen the same games from Geneva.
But the truly culpable party that should be sued and brought to task is the corrupt regime in Beijing that tried to cover up the original outbreak and refused the WHO access to the original cell of SARS.
Rant over.
BTW I have two trips to HKG booked for the fall, and likely one to SIN. As a Torontonian, I guess I like to live on the edge. I also eat Alberta beef!
[This message has been edited by Shareholder (edited 07-25-2003).]</font>
Jul 25, 2003 | 7:53 pm
#8
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: AA EXP, 1 MM and CX RULES!!
Posts: 1,341
Make note, this SARS report comes just days after a 12 year old girl **ALSO** tested negative in Taiwan. It`s huge unregulated media hype. Good to see measures are still in place, of course.
Now all we need is our own newspapers, TV stations and radio stations to compete against the status quo versions. Anyone know Ted Turner? I know he`s really BS about CNN as of late.
Now all we need is our own newspapers, TV stations and radio stations to compete against the status quo versions. Anyone know Ted Turner? I know he`s really BS about CNN as of late.
Jul 31, 2003 | 5:40 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 3,383
I transitted HKG three times in the past two weeks. For the first two, the thermography was in place before the security. On my last transit on 29 July, they had what looked like one of those thermometers that they put on your forehead or stick into a ear. They just took that gadget and brought the tip of it close to my forehead but never touched me. Is that a new device? I just thought they no longer bother checking the temperature there.
Anyway.
BKK no longer seems to require even a health declaration. It's completely back to the pre-SARS. SIN and HKG still require health declarations.
Anyway.
BKK no longer seems to require even a health declaration. It's completely back to the pre-SARS. SIN and HKG still require health declarations.