Law change to fight disease set

January 7, 2020

The Prevention & Control of Disease (Amendment) Regulation 2020 and the Prevention & Control of Disease Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Notice 2020 will be gazetted on January 8 to boost the monitoring of a Wuhan-related disease.

 

The gazettal will include severe respiratory disease associated with a novel infectious agent, which refers to a cluster of viral pneumonia cases of unknown cause occurring in Wuhan since December, as a statutorily notifiable infectious disease.

  

From January 8, when the amendment regulation and notice take effect, medical practitioners will need to make a report to the Centre for Health Protection if they encounter an individual with fever and acute respiratory illness or pneumonia who had visited Wuhan within 14 days before the symptoms’ appearance.

 

The Government said this would strengthen Hong Kong's capability in monitoring the disease.

   

Apart from setting out control and prevention measures against the spread of infectious diseases in Hong Kong, the Prevention & Control of Disease Regulation also provides measures to prevent specified diseases’ introduction into and transmission from the city. 

 

Specifically, the Government can prohibit cases of a specified disease and their contacts from leaving the city.

 

The amendment regulation and the notice will be tabled at the Legislative Council on January 15.

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