United Christian Hospital (UCH) announced three preliminary positive COVID-19 inpatient cases today. Admission and discharge of patients in the ward concerned as well as compassionate visiting arrangements have been suspended.

A 91-year-old female terminally ill patient was admitted to a surgical ward at UCH on December 1.

She was transferred to the palliative care ward on December 9 for further treatment.

As she was clinically stable, she was discharged from the hospital on December 21.

A community nurse conducted a follow up visit at the patient's home the next day, found that she had mild shortness of breath and arranged for the patient to attend the accident and emergency department at UCH.

A chest X-ray showed mild pneumonia and medical staff arranged a COVID-19 nasopharyngeal swab test for her. The test result was preliminary positive.

She was then transferred to the isolation ward for further treatment and is currently in a stable condition.

The hospital's infection control team conducted contact tracing and two other female patients aged 84 and 71 who had stayed in the same ward cubicle with the confirmed patient tested preliminary positive for COVID-19.

A total of 11 close contacts have been identified. One of them passed away due to underlying illness while another was discharged. The discharged patient will be followed up by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP).

The remaining nine patients and the deceased patient tested negative for COVID-19.

The hospital also arranged virus tests for other patients in the ward and all the results were negative.

As a precautionary measure, the hospital arranged testing for 14 patients who were transferred to Haven of Hope Hospital and the results were negative as well.

The palliative care ward workers are undergoing virus tests and the results have come back negative so far. Environmental samples from the cubicle are also negative.

During the home visit by the community nurse, the patient did not wear a surgical mask properly. The nurse was classified as a close contact and needs to be quarantined.

The hospital noted that those in the palliative care ward are patients with terminal illness and healthcare staff will assess a patient's situation to consider a compassionate visit. All visitors entering the ward are required to comply with the infection control measures.

The hospital will investigate the patient's source of infection with the CHP.