The Hospital Authority today announced that the special visiting arrangement will be extended from 22 to 26 hospitals from July 23, with one to two visits to be arranged per week considered by individual wards based on their operations.

The special visiting arrangement will cover four more hospitals. Meanwhile, two hospitals will further extend the existing special visiting arrangement to more wards.

Visitors do not need to call the wards for booking as ward staff will contact them to schedule a visit in the next few days, the authority noted.

One-off visitors are required to present a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result obtained within 72 hours before the scheduled visit. Regular visitors may conduct weekly testing. 

Visitors who have completed a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination for at least 14 days will be exempted from the testing requirements.

The authority pointed out that other hospitals and wards will continue to facilitate compassionate visiting arrangements and video visiting.