New Territories East Region

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EDUCATION BUREAU CIRCULAR MEMORANDUM NO. 36/2008

From : Secretary for Education To : Heads of All Schools Ref. : EDB(SD_CT)/ADM/20/5/05/1 Pt.10

Date : 6 March 2008

Stepping up Precautionary Measures to Prevent the Spread of Influenza in Schools

Summary

This circular requests schools to step up precautionary measures including requesting parents to take the body temperature of their children before sending them to school to prevent influenza outbreaks in schools.

Details

2. To alert all schools that Hong Kong has entered the influenza season, we have already delivered a letter on 14 February 2008 from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health to remind all schools to take appropriate precautionary measures. The surveillance system, including laboratory surveillance and sentinel surveillance networks, of the CHP shows that Hong Kong is now in the peak influenza season.

3. Collective assembly places like child care centres, kindergartens and schools are at higher risk of disease outbreaks. Young children are incapable of taking proper personal care. To prevent possible outbreak of respiratory diseases especially influenza, schools are strongly advised of the following precautionary measures:

(i) children with fever and respiratory symptoms should not attend school;

(ii) affected children should be promptly isolated;

(iii) staff with respiratory illnesses should refrain from work;

(iv) parents should record the body temperature of their children and hand in the temperature record sheet to the school every day; and

(v) the following measures should also be closely observed:

z to maintain good personal hygiene and wash hands after sneezing or coughing;

z to maintain good ventilation by keeping the windows open and turning off the air-conditioning as far as possible; and

z to wear face masks and consult doctor promptly if influenza-like symptoms develop.

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4. Please also refer to the letter issued by CHP to schools on 5 March 2008 which has been uploaded to its website: http://www.chp.gov.hk/ > Recommendations > Letters to institutions >

Increasing Influenza Activity. A sample temperature record sheet can be downloaded from EDB’s website: http://www.edb.gov.hk/ > School Administration >Administration > Prevention of Avian Flu / Influenza / Other Communicable Diseases (including SARS) in Schools.

5. To keep parents well informed of the above precautionary measures, schools should send a notice or letter to all parents requesting them to closely observe and follow the measures.

Schools should also keep the Crisis Management Team on the alert and activate it when situation warrants, such as briefing all staff members and students on knowledge about influenza, implementing contingency measures when staff members or students have contracted the disease, etc. In case of any abnormal absence of staff members or students who are suspected of being contracted of influenza, schools should immediately report the case to both the CHP and their respective Senior School Development Officers / Pre-primary Services Officers.

6. To ensure the learning of those students who have fallen ill being least affected, schools are reminded to provide support for learning to them during their absence from schools.

7. To enhance schools on knowledge of preventing and controlling spread of influenza in schools, the CHP in collaboration with this Bureau will organize health talks on “Prevention and Control of Influenza” in each of the four regions. Please refer to the Appendix for details.

School Heads or a representative from each school is invited to attend the health talk in his/her respective regions.

Enquiries

8. If you have any enquiries, please contact your respective Senior School Development Officers or Pre-primary Services Officers.

Mrs Michelle WONG for Secretary for Education

c.c. Heads of Sections – for information

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Appendix

Health Talks on Prevention and Control of Influenza for Schools

Hong Kong Region

Date: 12 March 2008 (Wednesday)

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon

Venue: TaiKoo Primary School (School Hall) 太古小學 (禮堂)

1100 King's Road, Hong Kong 香港英皇道 1100 號

Kowloon Region

Date: 12 March 2008 (Wednesday)

Time: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Venue: SKH Kei Fook Primary School (School Hall) 聖公會基福小學 (禮堂)

555 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon 深水埗長沙灣道555號