Press Release - April 1, 2003

The Deputy Director of Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Dr P Y Leung, said residents of Block E at Amoy Gardens were being moved tonight (April 1) into two holiday villages in Sai Kung and Lei Yue Mun.

He said the residents of the block, which has seen a high incidence of atypical pneumonia, would be kept at Lady MacLehose Holiday Village and Lei Yue Mun Park Holiday Village until the end of the isolation order.

Dr Leung said health officials were now investigating whether environmental factors could have contributed to the spread of the disease at Amoy Gardens.

The operation was being jointly carried out by the Department of Health, the Police and Civil Aid Service of the HKSAR.

Dr Leung said the residents would be provided with daily necessities and food during their stay at the holiday villages. They would also be given regular medical checks.

He said Block E of Amoy Gardens was still under isolation orders and would be under Police protection to ensure residents' flats were not broken into.

For updated information and latest news on respiratory tract infections, please visit the special home page on the subject at www.info.gov.hk/info/infection-e.htm, and the HKSAR Department of Health website at www.info.gov.hk/dh/ap.htm as well as the e-bulletin at www.news.gov.hk/en/index.shtml.