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The Government today (August 20) announced the launch of the Preparedness and Response Plan for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The Plan sets out the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's preparedness and response plan in case of an outbreak of EVD.
"The EVD Plan ensures that when EVD may have a significant public health impact on Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government would be equipped with the core capacities to prevent, detect, characterise and respond quickly, efficiently and in a co-ordinated manner to the EVD threats in order to reduce mortality and morbidity," a spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health remarked.
In the EVD Plan, a three-tier response level, which is adopted for the preparedness plans of influenza pandemic and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, is used. The three response levels, namely Alert, Serious and Emergency, are based on the risk assessment of the EVD that may affect Hong Kong and its health impact on the community.
The EVD Plan includes comprehensive response measures, clear command structures, and mechanisms for the activation and standing down of response levels. It also serves as a tool for clear communication of the level of risk with the public. Relevant agencies, companies and organisations should take note of this plan in devising their contingency plans and response measures.
In accordance with the EVD Plan, the Alert Response Level is activated with reference to the current epidemiological situation.
The EVD Plan has been uploaded to the CHP's EVD page (www.chp.gov.hk/en/view_content/34199.html).
Ends/Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Issued at HKT 13:03
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