Hong Kong ? Hong Kong announced plans for an emergency drill to prepare for a possible bird flu pandemic.

Dr. York Chow, Hong Kong’s secretary for health, welfare and food, said the chances of a global flu epidemic originating in Hong Kong were slim but the government was concerned about it reaching the territory from outside.

“We hope to figure out what problems we should assume we’ll have under the circumstances for this drill,” Chow told reporters late Saturday after a top-level government meeting to discuss the issue.

He declined to reveal details of the exercise, to be held in late November. But the South China Morning Post said the government’s preparedness for a pandemic calls for officials to assess the need to close schools and public places and cut back nonessential activities and services.