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Alert Response Level

Pandemic and Avian Flu
Activated when :

  • there are confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in poultry populations outside Hong Kong ; or
  • there are confirmed cases of HPAI in Hong Kong in imported birds in quarantine, in wild birds, in recreational parks, in pet bird shops or in the natural environment; or
  • there is/are confirmed human case(s) of avian influenza outside Hong Kong.


For all staff and students

  • Maintain practice of personal and environmental hygiene, such as frequent hand washing.
  • Consult your doctor if you feel unwell especially when you run a fever.
  • Wear a proper surgical mask when you suffer respiratory tract infection such as coughing or sneezing.
  • Maintain general awareness and vigilance of possible Pandemic and Avian Flu outbreak.
  • Keep track of the development of Pandemic and Avian Flu outbreak infection in the community, and visit the Health Promotion and Protection website and Centre for Health Protection (CHP) website regularly for updated information.

Committee on Health Promotion and Protection (CHPP)

  • Call for urgent meetings (if considered necessary by the Chairman) to review the local situation in Hong Kong and on campus and to advise on any specific and additional measures.
  • Keep all University staff and students informed with updated information of Pandemic and Avian Flu outbreak situation in Hong Kong (and overseas) and the measures taken/to be taken on campus through mass mailing, Health Promotion and Protection website, publicity posters, and forums, etc. (in conjunction with Director of UHS and Information Coordinator).
  • Close monitoring of Pandemic and Avian Flu outbreak situation in community by Information Coordinator.
  • Review the Mask Policy and Disinfection Policy.
  • Review and update all preventive guidelines and action plans.

University Health Service (UHS)

  • All staff at the clinic are required to wear surgical masks whilst in the clinic.
  • Free surgical mask packs with information pamphlets for UHS patients with respiratory symptoms.
  • Maintain & observe Infection Control Measures at UHS.
  • Adopt a triage system for patients with fever.
  • Operate a Fever Clinic by a team of designated physicians and nurses with personal protective equipment (PPE), if deemed necessary.
  • All patients attending UHS are requested to voluntarily fill in a simple Health Declaration Form for the information of the attending doctors.
  • Monitor any outbreaks of respiratory infection on campus.
  • Maintain a running record of patients seen with Influenza for assessing the trend & for any necessary follow up action.
  • Influenza vaccination for high risk groups and other staff and students.
  • Monthly canteen inspection on their compliance with hygiene standards (in conjunction with the Business Office), or more frequently when deemed necessary.
  • Monitor & follow-up responses to Health Declaration Form from hostel or individual students with positive findings.
  • Temperature screening for all patients of the Dental Unit, if deemed necessary.
  • Stock up an adequate number of infrared thermometers and earprobe thermometers.
  • Disseminate Pandemic and Avian Flu updated information to students and staff via e-mailing.
  • Screen and monitor University staff sick leave records, if deemed necessary.
  • Liaise with University Registry on any necessary special arrangements for students during examination period.

Colleges, Hostels, International House & Postgraduate Halls

  • Working Groups of Colleges/I-House/Postgraduate Halls to hold regular meetings and call meetings after the urgent CHPP meetings to relay to members the advice, comments and measures adopted by CHPP.
  • Maintenance of hostel environmental hygiene.
  • Maintain sufficient stock of oral thermometers, surgical masks and disinfectant in hostels.
  • Arrange for a designated area in hostels for Pandemic and Avian Flu information dissemination.
  • Sale of face masks for hostel residents in need.
  • Completion of Health Declaration (prepared by UHS) by all hostel residents (and guests) returning from trips outside Hong Kong.
  • All visitors need to log in and out at hostel receptions.
  • All visitors staying overnight must fill in a health declaration, printed at the back of the overnight guest ticket.
  • Weekly disinfection of communal areas, door knobs, control panels, lift buttons etc.
  • Warden to hold meetings with students to disseminate the relevant information.
  • Check whether any overseas programmes organized by Colleges are taking place or will take place in the Pandemic and Avian Flu-infected area. Colleges should consider contingency measures as appropriate.
  • Encourage all staff to have influenza vaccination.

Business Office

  • Step up stockpiling of surgical masks for supply and arrange for their distribution on the advice of CHPP.

University Safety and Environment Office (USEO)

  • Review procedures on handling of bird carcass and bird droppings.
  • Maintain sufficient quantity of disinfectants for use by other departments.
  • Participate in training and briefing sessions for CUHK personnel.
  • Liaise with responsible departments/offices such as Estates Management Office (EMO), Security Unit, Business Office and Laboratory Animal Services Centre (LASC) on preparative and preventive works.
  • To liaise with Security Unit and EMO on monitoring the number of bird carcasses found on campus.
  • To liaise with EMO and LASC on vaccination of birds and other preventive measures for Avian Flu.
  • Advice departments on types and performance of surgical masks.

Estates Management Office (EMO)

  • Stock up disinfectant in readiness for use.

          Specific Action for 'Avian Flu'

  • Advise staff to follow the guidelines on removing bird droppings.
  • To increase the frequency of inspection and cleaning, for bird droppings.
  • Set-up signage at strategic locations to advise against bird feeding.

Office of Registry Services

  • Participate in CHPP meetings.
  • Relay decisions and important messages of the CHPP to Faculty Secretaries and Head of Graduate School Office for information and necessary action.

Office of Student Affairs (OSA)

  • Participate in CHPP meetings and provide translation service for CHPP.
  • Disseminate updated information from CHPP to students via OSA's monthly publication "University Marketplace" and also the electronic version of the publication on OSA's website.
  • Remind student societies and associations to observe and follow the Pandemic and Avian Flu preventive guidelines when organizing activities.
  • The Student Counselling and Development Service to issue general guidelines to students on ways to maintain personal health and strengthen resistance against illness.
  • Maintain a stock of surgical masks for distribution when necessary to participants of activities organized by OSA.
  • Check whether any overseas programmes organized by the OSA are taking place or will take place in the Pandemic and Avian Flu-infected area. OSA will consider contingency measures as appropriate.
  • Maintain environmental hygiene in student amenities and OSA's offices (especially toilets) with EMO's assistance.
  • Maintain the cleaning sessions for the University swimming pool at 2 sessions a day during non-peak season and 3 sessions a day during peak season, unless it is closed for the winter.
  • Arrange staff who have frequent contacts with students to receive influenza vaccination.

Office of Academic Links (OAL)

For International Students

  • Provide updated news via email to international students on (a) laboratory-confirmed Pandemic and Avian Flu cases outside Hong Kong; or (b) Pandemic and Avian Flu Alert in Hong Kong and provide preventive guidelines as issued by the University.
  • Distribute notice on updated news and preventive guidelines in students' mailbox at OAL.

Partner Universities

  • Provide updates on any new preventive measures on Pandemic and Avian Flu introduced by CHPP to partner universities.
  • Liaise closely with the international office of partner universities on information sharing and action to be taken regarding the Avian Flu.
  • Provide latest information on the steps to be taken by CUHK and OAL.

For Outgoing Students

  • Monitor outgoing students going to affected areas.

Office

  • Provide updated information and relevant links in the section of NEWS on OAL website ( http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/oal/news/news.htm).
  • Maintain a sufficient supply of surgical masks.
  • OAL staff liaise closely with the consulates and exchange information.
  • Distribute relevant information to OAL staff.

Other Units

Security Unit

  • Participate in Influenza Vaccination Programme.
  • Maintain practice of personal and environmental hygiene, such as frequent hand washing.
  • Install automatic soap dispensers for use in the office.
  • Wear proper surgical mask when suffering from respiratory tract infection or coughing.
  • Enforce the Mask Policy and Disinfection Policy in line with the requirements of CHPP.
  • Maintain general awareness and vigilance of possible Pandemic and Avian Flu outbreaks through the CHPP website.
  • Liaise with University Safety and Environment Office/ EMO and LASC as appropriate to review plans for cleaning and disinfection of bird droppings, and on monitoring the number of bird carcasses found on campus.
  • Assist in canteen inspection with UHS.
  • All staff to attend talks on Pandemic and Avian Flu outbreak Awareness & Preventive Measures organized by UHS.

Transport Unit

  • Maintain practice of personal hygiene, e.g. frequent hand washing.
  • Maintain sufficient stock of protective gear, such as surgical mask, glove for use.
  • Maintain sufficient stock of cleaning material, such as bleach, detergent and pressure sprayer.
  • Arrange the influenza vaccination for frontline working staff.

Information Technology Services Centre (ITSC)

  • Stay alert to the announcement by CHPP.
  • Maintain ITSC environmental hygiene.
  • Maintain sufficient stock of surgical masks and disinfectant.
  • Install hand sanitizer dispensers at ITSC offices, Central Computer Room, user areas and seminar rooms.
  • Perform weekly disinfection for user areas, meeting rooms, and seminar rooms.
  • Promote and educate user departments on how to make good use of ITSC services to sustain operation during outbreak of Avian Flu / SARS.
  • Organize seminars and prepare information web pages for academic staff and administration staff to brief them available solutions at ITSC and their required preparation works in case if they need to work remotely or if there is class suspension.
  • Request users who attend ITSC training courses to wear face masks if they develop respiratory symptoms, sneezing and coughing during classes.
  • Evaluate the capacity of production systems which are running critical IT services (e-mail, portal, web, e-learning, security, remote connectivity, user authentication, etc.) in anticipation of possible class suspension, which would cause substantially more staff and students to access various IT services at home.  Make plans (funding, purchase, and upgrade work) for systems which are tight in capacity.
  • Identify a place to house a "separated" team.  Talk to the University Management to solicit such a place if necessary.
  • Identify staff members to be put into the "separated" team.  Make a detail logistics plan (computers, networking, telephone, fax, video conferencing, furniture, pantry, mail delivery, etc.) to establish a site to house the "separated" team (referred to as the "separated" workplace below) at the place identified previously.
  • Identify staff members who will work at home if emergency response level is activated at the University.

 

 
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