More than 190 kindergartens and childcare centres that have reported outbreaks of seasonal influenza are urged to close for a week from tomorrow.

Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Wong Ka-hing made the recommendation at a press conference today, saying the decision was made after the Food & Health Bureau’s inter-departmental meeting yesterday, which was also attended by Prof KY Yuen of the University of Hong Kong. 

“We noticed that the current influenza-like illness (ILI) outbreak among the kindergartens and childcare centres is at a very high level according to the moving epidemic method that we try to adopt this year. 

“I think at the meeting we considered that it is appropriate to have this enhanced measure at the moment to try to interrupt the transmission that had occurred in a particular school.” 

He noted the hospitalisation rate for children up to the age of 5 has remained at a high level since the second week of Hong Kong’s winter influenza season and that the flu activity level is expected to remain high in the coming few weeks. 

Dr Wong added the Government will monitor and review the situation to decide if the measure would need to be continued until the start of the Chinese New Year holiday or beyond, and whether to further enhance it.