The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesman for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (December 25) regarding a Temporary Undergraduate Nursing Student (TUNS) tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19:
      
     A female TUNS of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology had presence of throat discomfort on December 22. She later developed cough and chills on December 24. A COVID-19 test was arranged and she was preliminarily tested positive. She is now hospitalised under isolation treatment with stable condition.
      
     The hospital conducted contact tracing immediately. The TUNS concerned did not come into contact with any COVID-19 patients over the past 14 days. She only performed general basic nursing care duties and did not perform any high-risk clinical procedures in the ward. She was equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment at work. No patient was hence identified as close contacts. Three staff members having meals with the TUNS were identified as close contacts and will be arrange to quarantine.
      
     Besides, the TUNS also had meal with another nursing student earlier. The nursing student, who is a TUNS at Tai Po Hospital, was also identified as close contact and required quarantine.
      
     Admission arrangement of the ward concerned has been suspended. The hospital has completed thorough cleansing and disinfection of the concerned ward. The hospital has also arranged staff and patients as needed for COVID-19 test, and the test results are all negative. The hospital would continue to closely monitor the health condition of the staff members and patients and communicate with the Centre for Health Protection on the latest progress.

     In response to media enquiries and reports on the testing arrangements for confirmed cases number 7916 and number 8249 of COVID-19, the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) clarified again as follows today (December 25):

    According to the existing mechanism of the Department of Health (DH), specimens tested with a positive COVID-19 result based on virus testing in all laboratories in Hong Kong (including private medical laboratories and hospital laboratories under the Hospital Authority (HA)) are considered preliminary positive. Such cases must be referred to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) as soon as possible for initiating follow-up actions in accordance with established procedures, and the specimens be transferred to Public Health Laboratory Services Branch for confirmatory tests. The relevant mechanism has been in use since COVID-19 was included as a statutorily notifiable infectious disease in January, which effectively ensures that all tests with positive results carried out by any means or for any purposes will be notified and followed up.

     In the meantime, the Government has been taking a multi-pronged approach to strengthen surveillance and testing efforts in order to identify cases in the community as soon as possible and help cut the transmission chains. The Government provides free tests for members of the public through various channels, including public clinics and private doctors, for regular surveillance and early identification of confirmed cases. Such surveillance testing is not for private purposes (e.g. for work or travel certificates for individuals). The above-mentioned regular testing is handled and followed up by the DH and the HA. Any case that has been tested positive through regular testing will be followed up in accordance with the above-mentioned existing mechanism for handling to ensure that there will be no omissions and delays in processing.

     Due to the relatively large number of tests conducted by the Government with negative results, the practice that has been adopted is that people who are tested negative will not be notified separately. Nonetheless, the Government understands that members of the public want to be notified of the results after taking the test. In response to public demand, the FHB, the DH and the HA have gradually improved their computer systems since the end of November in order to notify people who have been tested negative via SMS messages. 

     During the process of changing the computer system, due to technical problems in the relevant system, some people who obtained specimen bottles through private doctors have not received the SMS messages containing their negative test results after being tested. After discovering the above technical problems, the Government has immediately taken remedial measures and the problems are already resolved. After the system is rectified, individual citizens will receive SMS messages containing the earlier test results which are generated by the system automatically. The technical problems mentioned above are resolved and not related to the outsourcing of the laboratory testing work.

     Since the end of November when the computer system was being improved and that specimen bottles with standardised barcodes were distributed through private doctors, designated General Out-patient Clinics of the HA, post offices and MTR stations, the Government has issued over 250 000 SMS messages containing negative test results. Due to the technical problem mentioned above, it is estimated about 800 people (including case number 7916 and case number 8249) have failed to receive SMS messages containing their negative test results, and there is no positive case among them. There was no existence about any delay in treatment due to SMS messages not being sent out.

     At present, people will receive SMS messages containing their negative test results if they receive free testing at community testing centres, or obtain specimen bottles through private doctors, designated General Out-patient Clinics of the HA, post offices and MTR stations and return the specimen samples for testing. We will continue to improve the system so that people receiving tests can be notified of the test results via SMS messages within 48 hours as far as possible. We would like to emphasise that the SMS notification arrangement is designed to inform members of the public of negative test results and give them peace of mind. All positive cases are notified and followed up in accordance with the aforementioned existing mechanism of the CHP for separate handling as soon as possible. The handling of these cases will not be affected by the SMS notification system and the time of sending out messages.

     The local COVID-19 epidemic situation is worsening rapidly. The confirmed cases are distributed all over the territory. Some of the confirmed cases are asymptomatic and this indicates the existence of many silent transmission chains in the community. The Government is very concerned about a number of COVID-19 confirmed cases reported recently at Kwai Tung House of Tung Tau (II) Estate, Ming Yan Lau of Jat Min Chuen and Ming Lai House of Choi Wan (II) Estate, and has arranged for testing agencies to reopen mobile specimen collection stations at the following locations and dates to provide free testing service for residents and workers in those districts:
 

 
     Operating hours of the abovementioned mobile specimen collection stations are from 10am to 8pm. The Government will decide whether it is necessary to extend the operation period of the stations after reviewing their usage and public's demand for the testing service.      
 
     Separately, after reviewing the usage and public's demand for the testing service, the Government has decided to extend the service period of the mobile specimen collection stations at Ping Tin Estate and Fu Shan Estate to December 28 (Monday) and December 29 (Tuesday) respectively.
 
     The Government has earlier extended the service periods for the stations at Heung Sze Wui Street in Tai Po, Sha Tsui Road in Tsuen Wan, Wong Tai Sin Square, Tung Chung North Park and Wong Chuk Hang Recreation Ground to December 31 (Thursday). The opening dates and operating hours of the mobile specimen collection stations in various districts providing free COVID-19 nucleic acid testing services for the general public are at Annex.
      
     A Government spokesman said, "The testing agencies will provide specimen collection services by combined nasal and throat swabs at the mobile specimen collection stations for testing free of charge. Persons who are subject to compulsory testing and undergo testing at the mobile specimen collection stations will be deemed to have undergone a test at a Community Testing Centre. The mobile specimen collection stations will accord priority to provide testing service for local residents and workers who are subject to compulsory testing."
      
     People whose test results are negative will be informed by SMS through their mobile phones. If any specimen tested shows a preliminarily positive result, the specimen will be referred to the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the Department of Health (DH) for a confirmatory test. Confirmed cases will be followed up and announced by the Centre for Health Protection of the DH.

     The spokesman urged all individuals who are in doubt about their own health condition, or individuals with exposure to infection risk (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or contacted confirmed cases) to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     United Christian Hospital (UCH) made the following announcement today (December 25) regarding a nurse tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19:
      
     A female nurse of a surgical ward at UCH was tested preliminarily positive for COVID 19 yesterday (December 24). The nurse was asymptomatic. She underwent viral test yesterday as her neighbours were confirmed with COVID-19 infection. She was tested preliminarily positive and is currently hospitalised under isolation in the hospital with stable condition.
      
     The hospital's infection control team conducted contact tracing. As the concerned nurse was equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment during work and did not perform any high-risk medical procedures, no patient is classified as close contacts so far.
      
     Four healthcare workers who had snacks together with the nurse are classified as close contacts and are required quarantine for 14 days. The hospital has conducted viral tests for them, and the test results are negative.
      
     The hospital has arranged thorough cleansing and disinfection for the ward concerned. UCH will continue to closely monitor the health of the staff and patients and communicate with the CHP about the latest situation.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 9am today (December 25), 114 COVID-19 confirmed patients were discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 7 317 patients with confirmed or probable infection have been discharged.

     At present, there are 681 negative pressure rooms in public hospitals with 1 241 negative pressure beds activated. A total of 940 confirmed patients are currently hospitalised in 23 public hospitals and community treatment facility, among which 54 patients are in critical condition, 70 are in serious condition and the remaining 816 patients are in stable condition. Moreover, a 95-year-old male patient (case number: 8444), who was confirmed with COVID-19 infection today, succumbed in Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 1.15am. Including this patient, 132 COVID-19 patients have passed away in public hospitals so far.

     The Hospital Authority 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. 

     Details of the above-mentioned patients are as follows: