Giving an account on the infection affecting some medical and nursing staff in some local hospitals at a press conference, Yeoh said the Hospital Authority (HA) has further strengthened infection control measures in public hospitals while the Department of Health (DH) would enhance its education and preventive efforts in the private health care sector and community.

He said the special administrative region government is highly concerned with the recent outbreak and he would personally lead a steering group comprising experts and officials from HA and DH to speed up information exchange and coordinate preventive efforts being taken out by various parties.

As of Thursday, some 24 public medical and nursing personnel hospitalized had shown initial signs of pneumonia, two of them were in serious condition and the rest were all in stable condition.

"The situation is managed in accordance with well-established procedures of infection control," Yeoh said.

At the macro level, Yeoh said the government would closely liaise with Hong Kong's neighbors for information exchange, and invite the World Health Organization to provide technical support and advice.

"There is no cause for worry on the part of the public," Yeoh said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2003)