Health authorities of Hong Kong have given all-clear for all the nine people who received tests for human infection of swine flu by Thursday noon, the Center for Health Protection said on Thursday.

The center said it received reports within the last 24 hours on "two patients fulfilling human swine influenza A (H1N1) reporting criteria."

One of the two patients, both 21-year-old women, has been discharged, while the other was admitted to a local hospital and was now in stable condition.

The seven patients reported to the center earlier in accordance with the reporting criteria have also tested negative for human infection of swine flu, the center said.

Nevertheless, Hong Kong has been on high alert against the potential spread of the virus into the free trade hub, requiring all travelers arriving at the Hong Kong International Airport to make a health declaration report starting from Thursday.

Temperature screening has been strengthened at the border control points, and the health authorities and customs officers have been preparing for increased flows of travelers expected at the border control points during the upcoming public holidays.

York Chow, Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said Hong Kong was not requiring travelers to fill in the forms of health declaration report at the land border control points at present.

The alert level in Hong Kong, which has in place, will depend on the rate of spread of the virus and the severity of the outbreak, and the plans Hong Kong have put in place to deal with potential outbreaks of flu pandemic will also work this time, Chow said.

The supply of pigs for meat does not make a threat, judging from the fact that no pigs have been found to be infected with the new virus, although it is called swine flu, Chow added.

(Xinhua News Agency May 1, 2009)