The taxi driver who took the Mexican visitor who is the city's first and only confirmed H1N1 Influenza A case from the Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai to Ruttonjee Hospital has been quarantined and shows no symptoms, the Centre for Health Protection says.

The centre's medical staff interviewed the man after he called the hotline, 2125 1111. He is staying at Lady Maclehose Holiday Village in Sai Kung. His taxi has been thoroughly disinfected.

Since it was set up on April 30, the hotline has received 1,056 calls.

At a press briefing last night, Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Thomas Tsang said there were 15 new reported cases which needed follow-up tests. This morning, 10 had been ruled out while results for the remaining five are pending. They are all in stable condition.

The taxi driver who took the Mexican visitor from the airport to the hotel had been taken to Lady Maclehose Holiday Village for quarantine. Another driver who called the Department of Health on Saturday said he in fact had not driven the Mexican visitor and had just called to test the hotline. Police are now investigating the case.

Full support

Director of Home Affairs Pamela Tan said a 24-hour help desk has been set up to provide every possible assistance to people quarantined in the Metropark Hotel and the Lady Maclehose Holiday Village.

As of today, 27 hotel guests and 26 staff had been transferred from Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai to Lady Maclehose Holiday Village.

People quarantined are not required to pay the hotel charges or any extra airline charges caused by having to reschedule their flights.

The department has provided food, daily necessities, books, magazines and toys to them. Special food has also been provided to children and an eight-month-old baby.

Draconian action needed

Immigration officers will process the extension of stay procedures for them in the hotel after the quarantine period.

Asked during last night's press briefing whether it was necessary to quarantine people in the hotel, University of Hong Kong Department of Microbiology Head Prof KY Yuen said, as there is not much information about the transmission of H1N1 Influenza A, it is important to be cautious.

"As time goes by, when there is more data, we can change our strategy. But at this stage, we have to be very, very careful," Dr Yuen said.

A daily update on swine flu in humans is now available on the Centre for Health Protection's website.