Press Releases
SFH on Import and Export (General)(Amendment) Regulation 2013 and avian influenza A(H7N9)
Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food
and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, and the Permanent Secretary for Food and
Health (Food), Mrs Marion Lai, at a media session on the Import and
Export (General)(Amendment) Regulation 2013 at the lobby of West Wing,
Central Government Offices, Tamar, this afternoon (April 18):
Secretary for Food and Health: Owing to the unexpected adjournment of
the Legislative Council meeting last night, the Import and Export (General)(Amendment)
Regulation 2013 (already implemented since March 1 this year) will
continue to be in force. We will make reference to constructive
opinions and advice expressed by our Legislative Councillors when the
Amendment Regulation was scrutinised by the Subcommittee on Import and
Export (General)(Amendment) Regulation 2013 and issue an improved
version of operational guidelines to our front-line law enforcement
officers. By doing so, we hope that we will be able to help the
front-line officers to better judge whether a particular product is
subject to the export restriction. We will review the result and
effect of the improved version of the operational guidelines as well
as other measures for improving the local supply chain (of powdered
formula) before deciding whether further initiatives are needed to be
taken to amend the existing legislation.
Reporter: Why is the Government not tabling the amendment to the
Legislative Council again to clarify the definition of powdered
formula? How could the enhanced operational guidelines help the law
enforcement officers so that they will not mistakenly arrest people
again?
Secretary for Food and Health: We will continue to monitor the law
enforcement situation, particularly after the issuance of the improved
version of the operational guidelines, as well as evaluate the
progress of other initiatives to improve the local supply chain before
we consider whether there is a need to table further amendment to the
existing legislation.
Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food): We intend to issue
strengthened guidelines to our law enforcement officers at the front
line so that they can enforce the law on a standardised basis. The
guidelines will cover areas like how to judge whether certain products
will fall within the regulatory ambit of the Amendment Regulation.
They can do that by making reference to the product description, the
labelling, user instructions, pictures on the packaging, etc, to form
a judgement. We will also make it clear which age group that the
product professes to target at will fall within the regulatory ambit.
For example, for products that indicate that they are suitable for
persons aged 12 months or above, or from 12 to 24 months, all these
will fall within the regulatory ambit. However, products which are
targeted specifically for people who are above 50 will not be
regulated.
In order to assist front-line enforcement officers, the Food and
Health Bureau has issued a list of products falling within regulation
with photographic images to facilitate our front-line staff. Moreover,
if, after making reference to the list and the operational guidelines
with strengthened form, enforcement officers still have some doubts or
queries, they can ring up the hotline which is manned by officers of
the Food and Health Bureau, who will in turn seek factual information
from the Centre for Food Safety as well as the suppliers as
appropriate, to ascertain whether the factual information of the
product is such that it should fall within the regulatory ambit. In
order to facilitate the public to understand more about the scope of
regulation, we will also issue and publish pamphlets for distribution
to people who intend to leave Hong Kong so that they will understand
more thoroughly which products to bring and what quantity they should
bring along.
Reporter: (On the possibility of human-to-human transmission of avian
influenza A(H7N9).)
Secretary for Food and Health: You are asking about the recent reports
from experts in the Mainland regarding the possibility of
human-to-human transmission of avian influenza A(H7N9). I think right
from the beginning, the possibility of human-to-human transmission has
never been excluded by any experts. However, judging from the
situation in the Mainland up to this particular moment, most of the
infected patients have a history of exposure either to the live
poultry in the market or they are actually participating in
slaughtering, selling or rearing poultry. In fact, many experts have
concluded that exposure to live poultry is in itself a major risk
factor. Up to this moment, there is not hard evidence of
human-to-human transmission. For one or two infected persons coming
from the same family, there were two possibilities. Firstly, a limited
degree of human-to-human transmission exists. Secondly, members from
the same family might be exposed to similar environment and therefore
contracted the virus in the same living or working environment. Up to
this moment, there is no conclusion yet. However, there is no place
for complacency and we must gear up every aspect of our surveillance
and prevention in order to minimise or prevent Hong Kong being
affected by this disease.
Reporter: (On measures for prevention and surveillance of human cases
of avian influenza A(H7N9) for the May 1 holidays.)
Secretary for Food and Health: The coming May 1 (Labour Day) holidays
will mean a significant increase in the flow of people across the
border between Hong Kong and the Mainland. Owing to this reason, we
have stepped up the mechanism and surveillance for temperature check
on incoming tourists or travellers at the border checkpoints.
(Please also refer to the
Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, April 18, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:57
NNNN