Hong Kong government holds huge practice exercise, just in case we get the plague

Although we’ve had no cases since 1929, it seems the Hong Kong government still needs to be on its guard against THE PLAGUE!

Yesterday, more than 20 government departments and organisations took part in what has been dubbed a “tabletop-cum-ground exercise” (these PR guys are clearly not hearing us on the use of that word), codenamed (for no reason we can fathom) PERIDOT.

Also, why a “let’s pretend Hong Kong has the plague” exercise needs to be codenamed is beyond us.

The exercise tested against different scenarios, including the event of the plague being imported from abroad and the detection of it in rodents and fleas.

They then pretended a multi-cluster outbreak of human bubonic plague cases had been detected.

EEEK!

Luckily enough, everything worked out just fine in make-believe land, but a Department of Health spokesperson stressed the importance of the exercise.

“Plague is a communicable disease and is transmitted naturally among animal reservoirs and their fleas, particularly wild rodents. Hong Kong has been free from human plague since September 1929. However, as the classic epidemic hosts and vectors are present in Hong Kong, and there is high volume of traffic (both human and goods) from all over the world, and the disease is found in nearby countries, the risk for introduction and spread of plague to Hong Kong still exists.”

Okay. Now we feel bad for taking the piss. 

Just kidding.

 

Done with operation PERIDOT? Watch Coconuts TV!

 






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