The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (January 27) that in order to align with the government's cancellation of issuing isolation orders from next Monday (January 30), respective medical units will strengthen their services and continue to support COVID-19 patients.
 
     The HA spokesman said, "After the concerned arrangement comes into effect, some infected patients may seek consultation in the General Out-patient Clinics (GOPCs). The HA has strengthened its manpower to cope with the possible increase in service demand. The HA Emergency Operation Command will closely monitor the situation and flexibly deploy resources to meet service demands so as to support necessary patients."
 
GOPC services and enquiry hotline
 
     All GOPCs of the HA, including the seven Designated Clinics for COVID-19 confirmed cases and the GOPCs that had suspended some services earlier will resume normal out-patient clinic service starting from next Monday. The HA will reserve more quotas for patients with episodic diseases including COVID-19 patients in order to strengthen support to relevant patients. GOPCs will reserve certain quotas for high-risk confirmed patients (including the elderly, children aged five or below, women at 28 or more weeks of pregnancy, and immunocompromised patients) to make appointments through the following ways:
 

1. using the COVID-19 Care Booking (GOPC) function of the "HA Go" mobile app or seven "Care Booking Line" to book an appointment (Annex);
2. using the GOPC Telephone Appointment System to book an appointment, and the elderly appointment quota will be allocated for elderly patients according to the information provided;
3. the HA enquiry hotline 1836 115 will continue to provide assistance for patients, including the referral of confirmed patients who are in need of GOPCs for further treatment.

 
     Other confirmed patients can make appointments through the "Book GOPC" function in the "HA Go" mobile app or the GOPC Telephone Appointment System. 
 
Accident and Emergency (A&E) services
 
     The HA will closely monitor the situation of every A&E department in public hospitals and arrange additional manpower to cope with the service demand when necessary. The HA urges confirmed patients with mild symptoms or lower risk to consult private doctors who can prescribe COVID-19 oral drugs, so as to alleviate the pressure on the A&E or GOPCs services. Please refer to the list of private doctors through the hyperlink: www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/tp_pd_antiviral.pdf.
 
Chinese Medicine services
 
     Confirmed patients can also seek consultations at the Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres (CMCTRs) in the 18 districts. The HA will closely monitor the service demand and will mobilise resources to strengthen services when necessary. For the arrangement of the CMCTRs, please visit the link below: cmk.ha.org.hk/index.
 
Visiting arrangement
 
     Starting on next Wednesday (February 1), all visitors can be arranged for a two-hour visit daily, except in isolation wards, according to the visiting sessions and time of each ward without a prior appointment. Subject to the situation in the ward, up to two visitors can enter the ward to visit the patient at the same time. An exchange of visitors is allowed with a maximum of three visitors. All visitors must provide a nucleic acid test negative result obtained within 48 hours prior to the visit with a view to protecting patients and reducing the risk of viral transmission. They have to strictly comply with the infection control measures, such as wearing surgical masks and undergoing temperature checks. Visitors who have recovered from COVID-19, if they could provide relevant proof or documents of infection and recovery, are exempted from the above testing requirement within three months from the specimen collection date of positive test result.
 
Hospital fee arrangement
 
     Eligible Persons (EP) who are infected will be charged according to the rate applicable for EP when attending GOPCs, CMCTRs or public hospitals. For Non-eligible Persons (NEP) who attended an A&E or were admitted into hospitals for urgent treatment and services, they will be charged according to the rate applicable to the NEP regardless of whether they are infected. If COVID-19 oral drugs are prescribed in the treatment process, the NEP are also required to pay for the relevant drugs.
 
     "The HA will fully cooperate with the Government's policies and closely monitor the service needs of different medical units to ensure that confirmed patients can receive treatment promptly. The HA will continue to adjust services according to the situation to take care of other patients in need," the HA spokesman added.

     Police today (January 27) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Hung Hom.
      
     Chan Ling-lee, aged 22, went missing after she was last seen in a car park at Ka Wai Chuen yesterday (January 26). Her family made a report to Police on the same day.

     She is about 1.6 metres tall, 70 kilograms in weight and of fat build. She has a round face with yellow complexion and short black hair. She was last seen wearing a black and green jacket, black trousers and pink slippers.
      
     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8036 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     A man who went missing in Wong Tai Sin has been located.

     Lau Chun, aged 57, went missing after he left his residence in Ching Ming House, Tsz Ching Estate on January 25 night. His family reported to Police on the same day.

     The man was located outside a temple on Shatin Pass Road this afternoon (January 27). No suspicious circumstances were detected.

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs seized about 30 kilograms of suspected heroin with an estimated market value of about $26 million at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (January 26).
           
     Through risk assessment, Customs on that day inspected two air consignments, declared as carrying cookies, arriving in Hong Kong from Thailand. Customs officers found one of the consignments containing 22 carton boxes, of which five carton boxes had contained 80 tin boxes of biscuits, each with a piece of suspected heroin concealed inside. The total weight of the 80 pieces of suspected heroin was about 30kg.

     Upon investigation, Customs officers on the same day arrested two men, aged 45 and 40, suspected to be connected with the case. Two goods vehicles were also searched and a suspected drug-inhaling apparatus was seized inside one of the vehicles.

     After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers further seized about 2.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a suspected drug-inhaling apparatus inside a residential premises in Yuen Long on the same day. A 41-year-old woman suspected to be connected with the case was arrested.

     An investigation is ongoing.

     Customs reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels of goods.
           
     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
           
     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     The Home Affairs Department announced today (January 27) that as the Government will cease to issue isolation orders to infected persons with effect from January 30, the "StayHomeSafe" hotline (1833 019) will cease to accept requests for basic daily necessities and food from infected persons starting from January 30. The hotline will cease operation starting from 11pm on February 5.
 
     The "StayHomeSafe" hotline has commenced operation since early February last year to provide support to COVID-19 infected persons under home isolation and close contacts under home quarantine (hereinafter as "persons under home isolation/quarantine"). The Home Support Supplies Delivery Service (HSSDS), covering the whole territory of Hong Kong, has been delivering supplies to persons under home isolation/quarantine who cannot make their own arrangements for basic daily necessities or food since mid March last year. As at yesterday (January 26), the "StayHomeSafe" hotline has received over 1 160 000 calls, while the HSSDS has provided nearly 590 000 supply packs to about 210 000 households.