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The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) made the following announcement update today (August 1, 2006):
As at 5pm today (August 1), there are a total of two public hospitals with new cases of patients and staff members suffering from diarrhea or vomiting symptoms at individual wards. The breakdowns are as follows:
Queen Elizabeth Hospital - 1 male patient (aged 82) in stable condition.
Wong Tai Sin Hospital - 3 female patients (aged 81-91) and 1 staff member. One of the patients has died due to her underlying chronic disease, others are in stable condition.
All the patients are being treated under isolation, while the staff concerned is on sick leave. Laboratory tests are being carried out for the symptomatic patients and staff member. Some of them are positive to Norovirus while others are pending test outcome.
Various infection control measures have already been stepped up in the concerned wards according to operational needs of individual hospitals, which include temporary suspension of admission to and discharge from the wards, no visiting or restricted visiting, enhanced medical surveillance of other patients in the ward.
The cases have already been reported to HA Head Office and Centre for Health Protection for the necessary follow up actions.
Ends/Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:25
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