THREE Hong Kong soccer players at the Asian Youth Games (AYG) have been struck by the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, prompting the Hong Kong soccer team to be pulled out from the competition.
The news came two days after a Filipino soccer player at the AYG was also infected by Influenza A.
But the inaugural meet will go on as planned - for now, organisers said at a press conference yesterday.
Asked what is likely to happen after the four players were confirmed to be infected, Professor Tay Boon Keng, chief medical officer at the Health Ministry and AYG Medical Services Committee, said: "I think these two teams - the Philippines and Hong Kong - will be taken out from participation in the football competition."
The Hong Kong soccer team is now quarantined at the medical centre in the Games Village at Swissotel The Stamford.
The period of quarantine ends only next Tuesday, which means they would have to miss their preliminary matches, which started yesterday evening.
The three players had been sent to the Singapore General Hospital, the designated H1N1 treatment centre for the AYG.
Sports and health officials here moved swiftly on Sunday night, after they were informed by their Hong Kong counterparts that two soccer players who had remained in Hong Kong were confirmed to have the virus.
Officials here and from the Olympic Council of Asia said the games will not be cancelled "at this point in time".
Co-chairman of the AYG organising committee Oon Jin Teik explained: "It is not as simple as saying you've been hit by the virus and therefore the games should stop."
He added that precautionary measures would be stepped up and that despite these cases, the situation is under control and is being handled well. Also, "at this point in time, the games will go on", he said.
Prof Tay added that temperature taking for teams who are housed on the same levels as the affected teams has been increased from two to three times daily.
As for the remaining football fixtures, the organisers would only say it was still "premature" to say whether they would be adjusted.
