7
Wednesday, May 31, 1972
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND MACAU
Cholera, Smallpox Certificates Unnecessary From June 1
Requirements for valid vaccination certificates against either
cholera or smallpox will be unnecessary for travellers between Hong Kong
and Macau, and vice versa, from June 1 this year.
The agreement is based on Article 98 of the International Health
Regulations and will remain effective while the two territories continue
to be uninfected with either cholera or smallpox.
Article 98 of the International Health Regulations allows for the
conclusion of special treaty or arrangement "between two or more States having
certain interests in common owing to their health, geographical, social
or economical conditions".
Dr. the Hon. G.H. Choa, Director of Medical and Health Services,
said today should either of the two territories become infected then
restrictions would be re-imposed five days after the notification of the
first case.
He explained that five days had been decided upon for administrative
convenience, and then appropriate re-imposed health documents would be
required of travellers from the infected area, dépending on the discovery
of a case of cholera, or smallpox, or both.
Dr. Choa said the Hong Kong and Macau governments had already
notified the World Health Organization of this agreement.
Similar
international agreements under Article 98 of the International Health
Regulations had been entered into by the Council of Europe countries, and
also between Singapore and Malaysia.
The Macau...