Eight more medical workers in Hong Kong were confirmed having pneumonia symptoms on Saturday, one day after 29 cases were announced by the Hong Kong's Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA).
As of 1:00 pm Saturday, the admission statistics of healthcare workers who suffered from respiratory tract infection were 47 persons, among whom 37 were having pneumonia symptoms, according to the latest announcement jointly by the DH and HA on Saturday.
An official told locals and visitors that Hong Kong is safe at this moment.
"It is no different from going to any big cities in the world because there is certainly no evidence to say Hong Kong has an outbreak of atypical pneumonia in the community," said Dr. Yeoh Eng-kiong, Hong Kong's secretary for health, welfare and food, at a stand-up media session.
"We have in fact through the tourism departments inform the consul generals, to tell them the situation because we believe that with the right information, people will not be scared, and will not take unnecessary action not to come to Hong Kong because Hong Kong is actually safe at the moment," said Yeoh.
The first case of atypical pneumonia was diagnosed as caused by unknown virus in a Hong Kong hospital last week.
(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2003)
