6k COVID-19 cases detected

February 20, 2022

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

 

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 6,067 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 12 are imported and the rest are locally infected.

 

Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Edwin Tsui told at a press briefing this afternoon that the Government will provide further support to those infected people who are pending admission to hospitals or isolation facilities starting from tomorrow.

 

The Government will distribute electronic wristbands and anti-epidemic kits to people pending admission and offer them specific recommendations on health monitoring, infection control advice, arranging daily necessities and garbage disposal.

 

Dr Tsui said: “Because there is a surge of confirmed cases and also there is a surge of home quarantine confinees, indeed in Hong Kong, we are expediting our delivery schedules, including inviting some companies to do the delivery work for us, so that we can deliver all the packages to the people under quarantine, and those waiting to be sent to the hospital, more quickly.”

 

People pending admission can also obtain information from the Government’s dedicated webpage, with health advice made by various medical professional bodies in it.

 

To enhance infection control and speed up the delivery of packages, the Government will send an electronic form via SMS message to those infected people to obtain their information such as the number of home confinees, their names and their exact address.

 

If people pending admission have not been sent to hospitals or isolation facilities on Day 14 after obtaining a positive nucleic acid test result, they may conduct a test including rapid antigen test. If the result is negative, relevant people no longer need to be isolated, they may leave home and continue with their daily activities.

 

With a view to making proper use of community isolation facilities, the Government also announced the criteria for discharge from isolation for people infected with COVID-19.

 

Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Department today set up a holding centre at Choi Wing Road Sports Centre in Kwun Tong for receiving elderly patients referred by the Hospital Authority and pending admission to hospitals.

 

In view of the positive sewage test results of Ying Yat House, Yat Tung (1) Estate in Tung Chung, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration tonight to cover the building, requiring people in the restricted area to undergo compulsory testing.

 

Positive sewage test results were found at Pok Tat House, Pok Hong Estate where 94 people in the housing block have preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19 and seven indeterminate cases have been identified. As a result, the Government has extended the restriction-testing declaration period to tomorrow.

 

In view of a number of preliminary positive and positive cases, 21 specified places are included in a compulsory testing notice.

 

Free testing services will be provided tomorrow for people subject to mandatory testing at community testing centres and mobile specimen collection stations located at 71 places in the city.

 

As sewage samples collected in several areas of Central & Western, Eastern, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, North and Sai Kung districts tested positive for the virus, the Home Affairs Department will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to all cleansing workers and property management staff working in those areas from tomorrow.

 

Starting tomorrow, the Government will set up additional mobile specimen collection stations at the Tung Chung Road Soccer Pitch and Town Square at Citygate.

 

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.

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