(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Hospital Authority today said it has stepped up monitoring of laboratory procedures for testing COVID-19 specimens following a mix up in results.

Hospital Authority Chief Manager (Clinical Effectiveness & Technology Management) Dr Linda Yu told a press briefing this afternoon that seven specimens collected from the temporary test centre at AsiaWorld-Expo were sent to the laboratory at Queen Mary Hospital.

She noted that the repeat test conducted early this morning found four specimens having different results from the preliminary results obtained last evening.

“We found out in one of the steps during the test the samples had been mixed up. We found out the issue and we immediately contacted the two people who had returned to their residence to come back to the hospital for isolation and further testing and monitoring.

“For the other two patients who originally tested positive but were actually negative, they were waiting in the isolation area and their condition was stable. They have been informed of the negative result and then returned home.”

Dr Yu noted that the authority’s laboratories follow protocols and operational procedures which have been reviewed to further enhance the integrity of the test reports.

“We noted that the staff may have wanted to help to speed up issuing the results, so some of the procedures may not have been (rigidly) stuck to. After the incident we have further monitored the procedures to ensure that the procedures are strictly followed.”

The authority apologised for the inconvenience caused to the people concerned.