Author Archives: hksar gov

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority today (February 18) announced that the following staff members are confirmed or preliminarily confirmed as having COVID-19 infection:
 

Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital	Four nurses, an occupational therapist, an administrative staff member and three supporting staff members
Ruttonjee Hospital	Two nurses, two medical technologists and a supporting staff member
Tung Wah Eastern Hospital	A supporting staff member
Queen Mary Hospital	Three nurses and six supporting staff members
Queen Elizabeth Hospital	A doctor, two nurses, two radiographers, five administrative staff members and eight supporting staff members
Kwong Wah Hospital	A doctor, a nurse and four supporting staff members
Hong Kong Children’s Hospital	A nurse and a supporting staff member
Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital	A nurse and a supporting staff member
Hong Kong Eye Hospital	An optometrist
TWGHs Wong Tai Sin Hospital	A supporting staff member
HK Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service	A supporting staff member
Lee Kee Memorial Dispensary	A supporting staff member
Mrs Wu York Yu General Out-patient Clinic	A dispenser
United Christian Hospital	A doctor, a house officer, a dental surgeon, a pharmacist, five nurses, a medical social worker, two administrative staff members and two supporting staff members
Tseung Kwan O Hospital	Two radiographers, two administrative staff members and five supporting staff members
Haven of Hope Hospital	A nurse and two supporting staff member
Ngau Tau Kok Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic	An administrative staff member
Princess Margaret Hospital	Four nurses and an administrative staff member
Caritas Medical Centre	A doctor, two nurses, an administrative staff member and eight supporting staff members
Yan Chai Hospital	A doctor, four nurses, an administrative staff member and two supporting staff members
North Lantau Hospital	Two nurses
The North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre	A supporting staff member
Prince of Wales Hospital	Six nurses, a radiographer and eight supporting staff members
North District Hospital	A nurse and three supporting staff members
Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital	A dentist, an administrative staff member, three nurses and three supporting staff members
Shatin Hospital	A temporary undergraduate nursing student and three supporting staff members
Cheshire Home, Shatin	A supporting staff member
Tuen Mun Hospital	A physiotherapist and four supporting staff members
Pok Oi Hospital	A physiotherapist, a dispenser and three administrative staff members
Tin Shui Wai Hospital	A doctor, an administrative staff member and two supporting staff members
Castle Peak Hospital	A supporting staff member
Siu Lam Hospital	A nurse and two supporting staff members
Tin Shui Wai Health Centre (Tin Shui Road)	Two supporting staff members

     Hospitals concerned have conducted contact tracing as required and arranged cleaning for disinfection. All related staff members had worn appropriate personal protective equipment at work. No patient has been identified as close contact so far. Since some of the above-mentioned staff members had been eating or chatting, etc. with other staff members without wearing masks, 13 staff members have been identified as close contacts. Arrangement will be made for them to be quarantined and tested as required.

     In light of the deteriorating epidemic situation, the HA again reminds its staff to minimise social activities and avoid having meals with other staff members. Staff members should also wear appropriate personal protective equipment at work. read more

     In response to media enquiries of today (February 18) about Hongkong Post’s arrangements for its staff to undergo COVID-19 testing, Hongkong Post gave a reply as follows:
     
     Hongkong Post has arranged its staff members to undergo COVID-19 testing in accordance with the Government’s guidelines. If the staff members who had been present during the specified period at restricted areas/specified premises or places prescribed are required to undergo compulsory testing in Government gazetted compulsory testing notices or required by the registered medical practitioners for the compulsory testing, the supervisors will arrange the release of staff concerned to take the compulsory testing. The staff concerned should stay at home until obtaining a negative testing result before resuming duties.
     
     In relation to Hongkong Post’s staff members tested preliminarily positive or positive for COVID-19 lately, Hongkong Post, upon notification of the cases, will immediately arrange thorough cleaning and disinfection of all the facilities and mail items of the premises pursuant to the guidelines set out by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH). Hongkong Post will also arrange for the co-workers of the staff members concerned to undergo COVID-19 testing. The staff concerned should refrain from resuming duties until obtaining a negative testing result.   
     
     Although the premises concerned are not prescribed in the compulsory testing notices, Hongkong Post has arranged the staff members to undergo COVID-19 testing immediately with an aim to obtaining the testing result at the earliest for safeguarding the health of staff concerned. Hongkong Post clarified that it has not requested any staff members concerned to take annual leave or unpaid leave during the period of awaiting the testing results. Neither will the remuneration and welfare of the staff members be affected during the period concerned.
     
     The spokesperson said, “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, our staff of all ranks give their full support and co-operation to the Government’s anti-epidemic measures. We offer our due recognition for the endeavours our team made for this.”
     
     Hongkong Post will continue to implement measures for social distancing and infection control at all postal facilities to safeguard the health of staff and the public, and maintain close liaison with the CHP of the DH. Staff members are also reminded to take note of their personal hygiene and stay vigilant at all times, and are advised to seek medical advice immediately in case of feeling unwell. read more

     A spokesman for the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said today (February 18) that the CFS noted notifications from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States (US) that authorities are investigating several cases of infant infections of Cronobacter sakazakii (previously named Enterobacter sakazakii) and Salmonella Newport, suspected to be related to the consumption of several kinds of powdered infant formula produced from Abbott Nutrition’s Surgis, Michigan facility. Initial investigation of the CFS found that the affected product had not been imported into or put on sale in Hong Kong.

     According to the information from the US FDA, the affected Abbott Nutrition products are Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare powdered infant formulas. The authorities advised consumers not to use the concerned products if:
     (1) the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37; and
     (2) the code on the container contains K8, SH or Z2; and
     (3) the expiration date is April 2022 or later.

     “Upon learning of the incident, the CFS has followed up with the sole importer of the product concerned in Hong Kong. The importer informed the CFS that the aforesaid products had not been imported into Hong Kong. Furthermore, the CFS has contacted major local importers immediately and so far has not found any affected products being imported into Hong Kong. The CFS has also contacted major local retailers and conducted sales checks at local outlets. No affected product was found available for sale so far,” the spokesman said.

     The CFS has collected over 210 samples of infant milk powder for microbiologcial testing (including Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella) in the past three years (2019-2021) under its routine food surveillance programme. The results were all satisfactory.

     Powdered infant formula is not a sterile product which may be contaminated with pathogens such as salmonella and Cronobacter sakazakii. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization advise that powdered infant formula should be prepared with boiled water that is no cooler than 70 degree Celsius which can significantly inactivate pathogens including Salmonella. Reconstituted powdered infant formula should then be cooled to feeding temperature and consumed immediately. Reconstituted powdered infant formula that has not been consumed within two hours should be discarded. On the other hand, for high-risk infants, including pre-term infants, infants less than two months of age, low-birth-weight infants (< 2.5 kilograms) and immunocompromised infants etc, who are not breastfed, caregivers should use commercially sterile liquid formula whenever possible.

     The CFS will continue to follow up the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing. read more

     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, today (February 18), with the Hospital Authority (HA), met with the Chinese medicine (CM) sector, including the Chairman of the Chinese Medicine Practice Subcommittee under the Chinese Medicine Development Committee (CMDC), Mr Chan Wing-kwong, and the Chairman of the Chinese Medicines Industry Subcommittee under the CMDC, Mr Tommy Li, to discuss the participation of the CM sector on the epidemic prevention, control and treatment efforts.
 
     “Since the emergence of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Government has all along been maintaining close liaison with the CM sector to jointly work on the epidemic prevention and control efforts. I am pleased that the CM sector has been dovetailing with the Government’s anti-epidemic efforts with dedication and professionalism, and is committed to promoting CM anti-epidemic knowledge to the public. In response to the severity of the fifth wave of the epidemic, the CM sector has been proactively mobilising available manpower and resources, including mobilising CM practitioners to provide telemedicine services to the public, facilitating the access to CM treatment at home. Furthermore, the CM drug sector has also initiated the production of health maintenance soup packs and provides anti-epidemic-related proprietary CMs for giving to people in need free of charge,” Professor Chan said.
 
     With the facilitation and support of the Food and Health Bureau, the HA has implemented the Special CM Out-patient Programme since April 2020 to provide 10 free sessions of CM general consultation services to discharged COVID-19 patients through the Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres. About 1 400 discharged patients have joined so far. Subsequently, the HA has launched the Special CM Programme for COVID-19 In-patients at the AsiaWorld-Expo Community Treatment Facility and the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre since January 2021 to provide patients with an option of CM treatment, with the participation of over 130 in-patients thus far. Both programmes have received positive feedback, demonstrating the strengths of CM as well as integrated Chinese-Western medicine in anti-epidemic treatment alongside the unity of the entire healthcare sector.
 
     Professor Chan expressed thanks for the dedication of the CM sector and the HA in safeguarding the lives and health of the people through concerted efforts. At the meeting, she invited the CM sector and the HA to further explore how to support members of the public affected by the epidemic, including those under/pending quarantine and isolation, with a view to further allowing CM to give full play to its strengths in anti-epidemic treatment to overcome the challenges brought about by the epidemic in joint efforts.

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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 0.00am today (February 18), a total of 3 099 patients who are suspected of having or have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus are currently being treated in the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, the Hospital Authority (HA) Infectious Disease Centre, the Community Treatment Facility at AsiaWorld-Expo and public hospitals. Ten confirmed patients passed away, including eight patient cases that had been announced yesterday. Including the previous unannounced cases, a total of 255 patients have passed away in public hospitals so far. There were 251 patients discharged.
 
     In addition, there are around 2 200 patients isolated in the Community Isolation Facility in Penny’s Bay.
 
     The HA will maintain close contact with the Centre for Health Protection to monitor the latest developments and to inform the public and healthcare workers on the latest information in a timely manner. read more