Hospital Authority announces healthcare staffs tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19

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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) made the following announcement today (January 21) on healthcare staffs tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19.
      
     A nurse in the medical department of the North District Hospital (NDH) tested preliminarily positive to COVID-19 yesterday (January 20), four nurses in the same department who were classified as close contact yesterday have undergone COVID-19 tests and the results are negative. They are currently under quarantine. Viral tests have also been arranged by NDH for about 70 relevant staff in the isolation ward and the department of medicine as a precautionary measure, and the results are all negative. NDH will continue to closely monitor the health condition of the concerned staff members. 69 environmental samples were collected by NDH at the areas where the nurse had worked and rested during her infectious period yesterday, they were all tested negative to COVID-19.
      
     In addition, the contact tracing of the nurse concerned is still ongoing while she has had meal with a nurse from the rehabilitation ward of the Tuen Mun Hospital on January 17 and a nurse from the medical department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) on January 18 respectively. These two nurses have been identified as close contact as well, while the nurse from QEH tested preliminarily positive to COVID-19 yesterday.
      
     The QEH nurse has no symptoms and underwent COVID-19 test upon receiving notification. She was preliminarily tested positive in the evening yesterday. Her last date of duty was January 20.
      
     The QEH nurse worked in a medical ward where her daily clinical duty is to provide general nursing care to patients. She had been wearing appropriate personal protective equipment at work.
      
     QEH infection control team has started contact tracing with the Centre for Health Protection. Six other QEH staff who had meal with the nurse are classified as close contact today and will be arranged for quarantine. They were all tested negative for COVID-19. As the nurse has been wearing appropriate personal protective equipment at work, no patient is classified as close contact.
      
     As a precautionary measure, viral tests and medical surveillance are being arranged for relevant staff and patients in the medical ward of QEH. Thorough cleansing and disinfection of the wards and areas where the nurse has worked and rested has been arranged. 
      
     HA has reminded colleagues once again to avoid having meal together and that they should also observe social distancing to minimise infection risk.

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