The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKOH) today (August 7) made the following announcement concerning a case tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19):
A 62-year-old female patient with chronic disease attended the Accident & Emergency Department of TKOH on August 6 due to fever and loose stool. The patient had no recent travel history, contact history of COVID-19 confirmed cases or known clustering. The provisional diagnosis was gastroenteritis after consultation. The patient was admitted to Emergency Medicine Ward (EMW) at 2.33am the next day (August 7). In view of her fever symptom, deep throat saliva test was arranged. The patient was immediately transferred to the isolation ward upon the preliminarily positive test result was noted.
The hospital's infection control team immediately conducted contact tracing and confirmed that five patients had stayed in the same cubicle of EMW with the case confirmed with COVID-19 and were therefore classified as close contacts. Three patients who need hospitalization have been isolated for quarantine. The other two patients who were fitted for discharge will be transferred to the quarantine centre. These five patients were tested negative for COVID-19. All of the concerned patients had worn surgical masks and all healthcare workers were equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment in accordance with the infection control guidelines during that period. No aerosol generating procedures had been performed during that period. As a precautionary measure, although no staff member had been classified as close contact, the hospital had arranged medical surveillance for all staff concerned. The hospital would continue to closely monitor the health conditions of the patients and also maintain communication with the Centre for Health Protection to follow up on the latest situation.
The hospital had arranged thorough cleansing and disinfection of the ward concerned and reminded all patients to wear masks and ensure hand hygiene at all times following the instructions of healthcare workers.
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