At the inauguration of the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, Mr Wong Kan Seng, Minister for Home Affairs, responded to media queries about whether there would be similar health screening procedures at the land checkpoints as is being done at the airport to minimise the import of SARS cases.

Minister Wong said that we have to focus on the key areas first, and right now they are Hong Kong, China and Vietnam and travellers from there come by air and we have to deal with them at the airport. Health screening checks at the land and other checkpoints would have to depend on the situation. He added that considering the tens of thousands who come to visit, work or study, practical ways have to be found to ask the health-related questions without causing congestion should there be a need to institute such checks in future.

Minister Wong said that it did not mean that it would not be done, but that we should take it one step at a time and review the situation.


MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

31 March 2003