A visitor to Grantham Hospital has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19, the Hospital Authority said today.

The woman went to the hospital’s palliative ward on February 20 and 21 to visit a relative.

She had presented proof of a negative COVID-19 test result conducted within 72 hours each time she entered the hospital premises. She stayed in the ward for about 30 minutes and wore a mask throughout the visits.

She developed a runny nose and underwent a virus test at a mobile specimen collection station yesterday. The preliminary test result was positive.

Her relative at the hospital and three other patients in the same cubicle were classified as close contacts and they will be quarantined. No hospital staff were identified as close contacts.

Relevant areas of the ward have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.