To prevent the spread of seasonal influenza in schools, after the inter-departmental meeting of Food and Health Bureau, Education Bureau, Centre for Health Protection, Social Welfare Department and Hospital Authority this morning, the Government announced today (24^th January) that all kindergartens and child care centres would start their Chinese New Year Holidays starting from this Saturday, i.e. 26^th January. Based on the advancement of the Chinese New Year Holidays, the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association advises the following arrangements:

1. ALL Happy Bees' unit meetings should be temporarily suspended during the said period;
2. Participants should adopt preventive measures and keep warm in Brownies', Guides', Rangers' and Golden Guides’ unit meetings. Members should seek medical advice promptly and take adequate rest at home if respiratory symptoms such as fever, runny nose, cough, or sneeze are developed;
3. Girl Guide members attending public Raffle sale should wear surgical masks, carry an alcohol solution for hand washing and disinfection when hand-washing facilities are not available. Guiders may cancel public raffles sale at their own discretion. However, the Guiders should notify HKGGA HQs staff in advance to follow up the venue arrangement (HKGGA contact number: 2359 6879 / 2359 6841).

Further announcements will be made whenever receiving any latest news or guidelines from the Department of Health and the Education Bureau.