Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa on Saturday affirmed the importance of the health check at the boarder control points for preventing further spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the city.

"I am here today to emphasize that in order to prevent further spread of SARS, it is important that we strengthen the health check at all the border points," said Tung Chee Hwa after inspecting the implementation of the health declaration measure at Lo Wu checkpoint.

The government will be working very closely with the concerned mainland authorities to check the health of the people going through the checkpoints, he said, adding Hong Kong is going to check the travelers crossing the borders with a body check on the temperature on a random basis.

He said the best way to do this checking is through an infrared thermal imaging machine.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2003)