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     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 22) urged schools, parents and students to heighten vigilance and adopt strict personal and environmental hygiene as well as mosquito control actions and personal protective measures to prevent the spread of dengue fever (DF) and other communicable diseases in schools as social contact among students in schools will increase when school resumes after the summer holidays.
 
     A spokesman for the CHP said, “Hong Kong has experienced an unprecedented outbreak of DF since August 14. As the situation is still evolving, it is likely further cases may occur in the community. The CHP calls for assistance from schools in the prevention of DF.”
 
     “As schools are collective assembly places, infectious diseases could be easily spread among people through their daily contacts. Based on seasonal patterns and past surveillance data, we expect that sporadic institutional outbreaks of respiratory illnesses or hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) or chickenpox may occur in the new school year when students and staff gather on campus,” the spokesman continued.
 
     “The CHP has issued letters to schools, kindergartens and child care centres today to remind them for continued vigilance and reinforcement of preventive measures to guard against possible outbreaks when classes resume,” the spokesman added.


A. Dengue fever

     To reduce the risk of DF infections, apart from general measures, the CHP reminded schools, parents, staff and students that they should not visit Lion Rock Park during the closure period in order to prevent contracting DF. Scientific studies have shown that infected persons can transmit the virus to mosquitoes through mosquito bites even if they remain asymptomatic or before their onset of symptoms, leading to further spread of the disease. Hence, people who had visited Lion Rock Park are advised to apply insect repellent for 14 days upon their last visit.
 
     Likewise, staff and students returning from affected areas of DF should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. Those with DF symptoms should seek medical advice as early as possible.

     Eighteen local cases of DF had been confirmed this year as of yesterday. Excluding the local cases, as of yesterday, 61 imported cases had been recorded in 2018. The cases were mainly imported from Thailand (26), the Philippines (12) and Cambodia (seven).
    
     Prompt, continuous, intensive and effective anti-mosquito operation must be carried out at this stage to prevent DF from further spread. Schools should take the following preventive measures to prevent accumulation of stagnant water and eliminate mosquito breeding sites:
 

• Put all used cans and bottles into covered dustbins;
• Change water for plants at least once a week, avoid using saucers underneath flower pots;
• Cover tightly all water containers, wells and water storage tanks;
• Keep all drains free from blockage; and
• Top up all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water.

 
     Staff and students are also advised to protect themselves from mosquito bite by taking the following measures:
 

• Wear loose, light–coloured, long-sleeved tops and trousers, and apply effective mosquito repellent containing DEET to exposed parts of the body and clothing;
• Use mosquito screens or bed nets when the room is not air-conditioned; and
• Place anti-mosquito devices near entrances such as windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes from entering indoor.

 
     Furthermore, the school management is advised to appoint designated staff for mosquito prevention and control in the school premises. Details are available from the guidelines published by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department:
www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/library/pdf_pest_control/mosquito_school.pdf.
 
 
B. Influenza and respiratory illnesses

     The surveillance data of the CHP showed that the overall local influenza activity is currently at a low level, but outbreaks of influenza-like illness in schools may increase after the start of the new school year. Although influenza is usually self-limiting, it may cause serious illness even in healthy children.
 
     Parents are advised to consult family doctors for seasonal influenza (SI) vaccination for their children for personal protection before the winter season arrives. Parents are reminded that it takes two weeks for the body to develop a sufficient level of antibodies to protect against influenza virus infection after vaccination.

     “If students or staff develop fever, respiratory symptoms, diarrhoea, vomiting or skin rash, schools should strongly advise them not to return to campus and to promptly seek medical advice. Management of schools should observe precautions on campus, such as avoiding sharing clothing or slippers, to prevent possible transmission of diseases,” the spokesman added.

     For more information on SI vaccination, parents may call the CHP hotline at 2125 2125 or visit the CHP’s Vaccination Schemes page. 
 
 
C. Hand, foot and mouth disease and enterovirus infection

     Although local HFMD activity returned to a baseline level in mid-August after its peak in June, sporadic outbreaks may occur in schools and institutions where HFMD can easily spread among young children with close contact. A smaller peak may also occur from October to December.

     In 2018, 33 cases of enterovirus (EV) 71 infection had been recorded as of yesterday, which is fewer than the 44 cases in the same period of 2017; whereas five cases of severe paediatric EV infection (other than EV71 and poliovirus) were recorded in 2018 as of yesterday, which is more than the three cases in the same period of 2017. The five infants this year involved children aged 1 to 2 months and each of them was diagnosed with meningitis.
 
     “EV infection is transmitted by direct contact with nose and throat discharges. Children suffering from EV infection should stay at home and avoid contact with other children until they have recovered,” the spokesman reminded.


D. Chickenpox

     Chickenpox is the most common notifiable infectious disease in Hong Kong and is highly communicable, which can be spread through droplets or air. It can also spread through direct or indirect contact with the discharges from vesicles and mucous membranes of persons with chickenpox or herpes zoster. Children are most affected. Locally, there are two seasonal peaks. The number of chickenpox cases usually starts to rise in October and peaks in December and January, while a smaller peak is also observed in June and July.

     A total of 225 institutional chickenpox outbreaks affecting 1 138 persons had been recorded in 2018 as of August 17, including 79 outbreaks (363 children) in kindergartens or child care centres and 117 (673 pupils) in primary schools. On the whole, 4 124 chickenpox cases had been reported this year, which is fewer than the 6 551 cases in the same period last year.

     Schools are reminded to follow the Guidelines on Prevention of Communicable Diseases on preventive and control measures as well as management of outbreaks, which should be reported to the CHP for prompt follow-up. Schools may refer to the CHP’s pages on DF, SI, HFMD and EV71 infection and chickenpox and for more information. read more

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     The Hong Kong Museum of Art announced today (August 22) that the family of celebrated artist Wu Guanzhong has generously made another round of donations of Wu’s invaluable works to the museum for its permanent collection.
 
     The donated works include the painting “A household at the foot of mountain”, which was created when Wu was sent to the countryside to do hard labour in the 1970s and was painted on cardboard placed on top of a dung basket, as well as sketches for several masterpieces such as “A riverside village of Ningbo” (the sketch for “Two swallows”), “The original draft of Chinese cypresses” and “A river alley of Suzhou”. Together with the existing Wu Guanzhong collection of oil paintings and ink paintings that the museum holds, these works showcase the epitome of Wu’s artistic creation. In addition to paintings and sketches, the donation also includes items that chronicle Wu’s journey of artistic pursuit, including his work seals, documents he used and a certificate received in France as well as a ribboned gilt medallion awarded by the French Government.
 
     Thanks to the generous donations from Wu and his family over the years, the Hong Kong Museum of Art now boasts the biggest and most diverse collection of works by Wu in the world, making up a huge collection of over 450 items. These comprise oil paintings, ink paintings, sketches, watercolours, gouache paintings, acrylic paintings and a porcelain painting made by the great artist over more than half a century. The museum is also one of the key international centres for modern Chinese painting collection and research. To present this celebrated collection with due esteem and to share such kind and gracious donations with the public, a permanent Wu Guanzhong Art Gallery will be set up, showcasing the master’s donated works and related collection when the museum reopens in the second half of 2019. A series of activities will also be organised to commemorate the centenary of Wu’s birth.
 
     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, attended the Donation Ceremony for the Works of Wu Guanzhong today at Government House and presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the eldest son of Wu Guanzhong, Mr Wu Keyu, who received the certificate on behalf of his family.
 
     The Hong Kong Museum of Art has received two remarkable donations from Chih Lo Lou Art Promotion (Non-profit making) Ltd and the Wu Guanzhong collection within the span of a month. The donations reflect Hong Kong’s status as the international centre for preservation and conservation of Chinese cultural treasures with its unique positioning as a mix of East and West. At the same time, the donations again attest to the recognition of the professionalism and passion of the Hong Kong Museum of Art within the community of collectors and artists for its conservation of art treasures and promotion of art.
 
     Wu Guanzhong (1919-2010) was a master in Chinese art with a comprehensive knowledge of art of both the East and the West. Dedicating his entire life to the exploration of the modernisation of Chinese painting and the nationalisation of oil painting, Wu produced works that juxtaposed the aesthetic perspectives and connotations of traditional Chinese ink painting and contemporary Western painting. Notably, Wu created scenes of Jiangnan waterways with Western painting touches to express rich Eastern emotions. He depicted the vitality of wisteria and old cypress with flexuous lines, and added brilliant colours to nature and life. His vivid artistic language featured works of dots, lines and cubes, as well as palettes comprising black, white and grey or red, yellow and green. Establishing the unique “Wu studio style”, he distinguished himself as a master painter of the 20th century in China and indeed the rest of the world.
 
     Wu’s connection with Hong Kong extended a long way. He returned to China by train via the old Kowloon terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui – near where the Hong Kong Museum of Art is located nowadays – in the early 1950s upon completing his studies in Paris. Subsequently, he visited Hong Kong on various occasions to create artworks, hold art exhibitions, attend academic seminars and give lectures. He travelled widely throughout the city to do sketches, including in Central, the Mid-levels, Tsim Sha Tsui, Aberdeen, Repulse Bay, Cheung Chau, Temple Street and Ma Liu Shui. In 2002, the Hong Kong Museum of Art organised a large-scale exhibition, “Wu Guanzhong: A Retrospective”, and invited Wu to give his unprecedented demonstration of sketching in public. Unperturbed by bad weather, he captured Victoria Harbour on paper in the rain and the occasion has become a well-known story in the art circle. He once said, “In Hong Kong, I could see the East and the West. People can exchange their ideas in almost anything … That’s why I like Hong Kong.”
 
     Commenting on the success of that exhibition, Wu wrote in his autobiography “I Owe Painting”, “(The Hong Kong Museum of Art) did not simply hang up my works. They thoroughly understood and interpreted my artistic endeavour as well as the context of my art exploration … For example, ‘Two swallows’ drawn in the 1980s, ‘Former residence of Qiu Jin’ painted 10 years later and ‘Time passed and the two swallows gone’ (that is ‘Reminiscence of Jiangnan’) painted another 10 years down the road, were exhibited side by side. I felt that I had been captured, and my heart and private thoughts revealed; I was so touched and shocked at the same time … As an artist, I rejoice in knowing that someone understands me.” Through his own words, one can see the affection that Wu had towards Hong Kong and the trust and recognition that he held for the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

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