Coronavirus: staff at Hong Kong hospital to undergo stepped-up screening as part of push for border reopening; city confirms 2 imported cases
- Fully vaccinated workers at the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre will now be tested every three days, as opposed to every seven
- ‘Return2HK’ and ‘Come2HK’ schemes, which exempt arrivals from Macau from having to undergo quarantine, will resume from Tuesday
Officials on Thursday said that workers at the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre would undergo mandatory screening every three days, as opposed to every seven, following a similar move by the Airport Authority targeting staff at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus.
The hospital treats most airport arrivals who are infected with the virus.
Measures aimed at curbing transmissions among other high-risk groups – including quarantine hotel and coach personnel, employees at frozen food facilities and designated workers at cargo ports – are expected to be rolled out in the coming month.
The Hospital Authority also announced on Thursday that all visitors except those aged below 12 or above 65, or others exempted by the government, must use “Leave Home Safe”, the official risk exposure notification app, when entering its head office or public hospitals’ administrative wings.
Those entering health care areas, such as accident and emergency departments, also need to use the app when “operationally feasible”.
The authority’s decision mirrored a government move requiring visitors to its premises to use the app before entering.
