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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesman announced that public hospitals will scale down from "Serious Response Level" to "Alert Response Level" with effect from today (August 1) to dovetail the announcement of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on stepping down of the response level in view of the latest situation of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Korea.
Under the Alert Response Level, members of the public are reminded that the following measures will be implemented in public hospitals and clinics:
- Visiting hours will return to not more than four hours per day and not more than two visitors per visit for all acute wards; and not more than six hours per day and not more than two visitors for all convalescent wards;
- Visitors and patients with respiratory infection symptoms are required to wear surgical masks in the clinical areas of public hospitals and clinics;
- All staff members, patients and visitors are required to practise good hand hygiene at all times; and
- All volunteer services and clinical attachment to resume normal.
"Posters and notices will be displayed in public hospitals and clinics to remind members of the public of the stepping down of the response level and the corresponding revised arrangements. The triage assessment for fever patients with respiratory symptoms will remain unchanged and continue at Accident and Emergency Departments and General Outpatient Clinics," the spokesman said.
The HA will resume the medical exchange programmes and activities with healthcare organisations of Korea, and will suspend the medical surveillance for staff returning from Korea.
"In close collaboration with the Centre for Health Protection, we will stay vigilant to monitor the latest developments of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome situation and the need to update measures. We will continue to keep the general public and healthcare professionals informed of the updated situation and provide relevant information," the spokesman remarked.
Ends/Saturday, August 1, 2015
Issued at HKT 10:20
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