Guidelines against Influenza A (H1N1) Infection for JPC Activities

Owing to the emergence of human swine influenza A (H1N1) with three confirmed imported cases (as at 2009-05-19) in Hong Kong, all units organising JPC activities should closely monitor the situation and pay attention to the public announcements from World Health Organisation (WHO), Department of Health and Education Bureau (EDB), and internally from Support Wing.

2. EDB will work closely with the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), and based on the latest development of the situation1, the Director of Education will decide if there is a need to suspend classes and what level of class suspension.

3. Reference shall be made to EDB’s guideline when determining whether to suspend any JPC Activities before the school breaks for summer, and the current situation being ‘No class suspension’. As for the summer period, constant review will be conducted and further
guidelines will be issued in due course.

(A) No Class Suspension
a) Observe personal and environmental hygiene at all JPC
facilities to protect JPC members from contracting the illness.
b) If symptoms of influenza infection were found from any
teenager under any circumstances, the officer in charge has to
stop the subject’s participation in JPC activities and advise him
to go to see the doctor.

(B) Class Suspension in Primary Schools and Below
a) Suspend all indoor activities for members below 12 years.
b) Responsible staff has to ensure the environmental hygiene of all
JPC facilities is satisfactory by following the CHP’s advice.

(C) Class Suspension in All Schools
a) Suspend all JPC activities, both indoor and outdoor.
b) Suspend all services at all JPC facilities.

Overseas Trip / Exchange Program
4. At present, EDB has made no restriction on any educational
overseas trip. However, before setting off an overseas trip with JPCs,
the formation commander has to personally take into account the
following factors:

(a) the safety of JPC participants;
(b) the concerns of parents;
(c) the latest influenza infection situation of the destination area/city2;
(d) travel warning, if any, from WHO in respect of the destination area/city3.
Other than activities already budgeted and planned, no new activities should be introduced.

5. If WHO has issued travel warning to the destination area/city,
the overseas trip has to be cancelled or postponed until the warning has
been lifted.

6. If in doubt, cancel or postpone the trip until the situation is clear.

1 Latest development at CHP’s web pages “http://www.chp.gov.hk/index.asp?lang=en”
2 Latest statistics at CHP’s webpage : http://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/Swine_flu_List_of_affected_areas.pdf”
3 WHO webpage : “http://www.who.int/en/index.html”