The passengers, most of them also wearing face masks, queued inline for their turn. Speakers in the station hall broadcast in Mandarin, Cantonese and English saying that all passengers arriving in Hong Kong must have their body temperature measured beginning Thursday, an effort undertaken by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to curb the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Members of the Civil Aid Services, in their blue uniform, used a white Thermo Scan to stick to the ear of a passenger, which, within seconds, would show the temperature of the person checked.

Some nine through trains arriving in Hung Hom daily from the Chinese mainland, with six coming from Guangzhou city, one from Chongqing city, one from Dongguan city in Guangdong province and one from Beijing or Shanghai every other day.

A Principal Medical Officer of the Department of Health Thomas Chung noted that the Hong Kong government, beginning six o'clock Thursday morning, also conducted random body temperature checks at Lo Wu, which is the starting point of the KCR East Rail linking Shenzhen and Hong Kong with services as frequent as every a few minutes.

Chung said that "the ultimate goal is to reach every passenger," and they were also expecting all other methods.

He added that if the passenger showed abnormal high body temperature, he or she would be escorted to another room for detailed body check-ups. Any refusal to the temperature measuring could result in fines as much as 5,000 HK dollars (US$641).

Zhang Jiawei rode on Thursday's second through trains from Guangzhou to Hong Kong on a business trip. He noted that passengers were informed of the temperature check on the train, and he understood its necessity.

Posters on prevention of SARS, health alert, and completion of the health declaration forms were posted around the arrival hall.

Margaret Chan, director of the Department of Health, said at Thursday's daily press conference on SARS that so far some 4,300 arrivals to Hong Kong have had their body temperatures measured, none of them having a high fever.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2003)