Beginning today, all passengers arriving by air, sea or at land-boundary control points will have to submit a completed health declaration before entering Hong Kong.

Auxiliary Medical Service officers will be on hand to collect the forms at air and sea entry points, with minimum inconvenience to passengers. Immigration Officers will collect them at land-boundary crossings.

This is one of four measures the Chief Executive announced to tackle atypical pneumonia.

Any passengers who indicate that they have symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome or feel ill in any way will be examined. Those who are likely to have the disease will be sent to hospital.

* Airlines will hand out declaration forms to passengers arriving at Hong Kong International Airport. Passengers can complete the forms on board the plane or at tables provided in the arrival hall of the Terminal Building. 

* Ferry companies will give passengers arriving by sea from outside Hong Kong declaration forms on board vessels.

* Most passengers arriving in Hong Kong daily use the Lo Wu and other land boundary control points. Mainland authorities at Lo Wu have agreed to help distribute the declaration forms to travellers bound for Hong Kong. The KCRC and cross-boundary bus company will also help distribute the forms to through-train passengers and bus passengers.

The Government hopes most passengers will have completed the form before they enter the arrival halls so that the form-collection and immigration-clearance procedures run smoothly.