XN000022-1972-05-31 — Page 7

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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...