The2009 flu pandemic in Hong Kong was part of theworldwide pandemic that started with the city's first reported case ofinfluenza A virus subtype H1N1 infection, commonly calledswine flu, on 1 May 2009, by aMexican national who had travelled toHong Kong viaShanghai. It was also the first reported case inAsia.[1][2][3] There were 32,301 confirmed cases of swine flu in the city.[4]
Following the news of the flu outbreak in Mexico and theUnited States, on 26 April,Secretary for Food and HealthYork Chow announced that Hong Kong had raised itsinfluenza pandemic alertness level to "serious",[5] out of three possible alertness levels: alert, serious and emergency.[6] Hong Kong also became one of the first jurisdictions to declare swine flu as anotifiable disease, and much of the procedures against its spread were learned from the2003 SARS outbreak, of which Hong Kong was the center.[7][8] Chow advised Hong Kong residents to avoid travelling to cities facing this outbreak and stated that swine flu has been added to the list ofnotifiable disease, which required cases of the flu to be reported to the government. Residents were also advised to take precautionary measures against infection if they're about to travel to affected areas. Surveillance measures at boundary control points were boosted to detect travellers with fever and respiratory symptoms, and travellers who were suspected of being infected would be quarantined and monitored.[5]
On 1 May, Hong Kong Chief ExecutiveDonald Tsang told reporters that tests performed by theDepartment of Health and theUniversity of Hong Kong confirmed that a 25-year-old Mexican citizen who had traveled to the city via Shanghai on aChina Eastern Airlines flight was infected with swine flu.[1][9] In light of this, Tsang raised Hong Kong's influenza pandemic alertness level to "emergency" from "serious". This first confirmed case of swine flu in Hong Kong was also the first confirmed case in Asia. The man had developed a fever after arriving in Hong Kong, and was then isolated inPrincess Margaret Hospital, the hospital designated to handle swine flu cases.[10] The hotel where the traveller had stayed, the Metropark Hotel inWanchai,[11] was quarantined and about 200 guests and 100 staff were instructed to remain in the hotel for seven days regardless of whether or not they had come into contact with the traveller.[9] Authorities also made an effort to track down anybody who had made contact with the traveller, with Chow appealing to those who were on the same flight as the traveller to contact health officials.[12]
The guests and staff were released on 8 May, when the quarantine expired. Tsang was at the hotel for the release, speaking to reporters and with those who had been quarantined. To compensate for the quarantine, the government offered guests two free nights of accommodation at other hotels in Hong Kong. The Mexican traveller was also discharged after treatment with the antiviral drugTamiflu and theCentre for Health Protection confirmed that he was no longer carrying the virus.[13]
Following the finding that 12 students atSt. Paul's Convent School contracted the swine flu virus, Chief Executive Donald Tsang ordered the closure of all primary schools, kindergartens, and special schools for two weeks starting from 12 June. The 12 cases of infection were confirmed to be the first known cluster of local transmission of the virus. According to theEducation Bureau, the school closure affected about 500,000 students from 964 kindergartens, 601 primary schools and 61 special schools.[14][15]
