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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Following the government announcement today (July 9) on scaling down the response level for avian influenza from "serious" to "alert", public hospitals under the Hospital Authority (HA) will also revert to Alert Response Level.
Under the Alert Response Level, the following arrangements will be implemented in public hospitals and clinics:
* Visiting hours will be returned 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 hospitals.
* Visitors and patients who have respiratory infection symptoms will need to wear surgical mask in public hospitals and clinics.
* All staff, patients and visitors are required to practise hand hygiene at all times.
* The HA laboratory network will return to normal operating hours.
* The triage assessment for fever patients with respiratory symptoms will continue at Accident & Emergency Departments and General Outpatient Clinics.
Posters and notices at public hospitals will be updated to remind the public the current arrangements. The Hospital Authority will continue to closely liaise with the Centre for Health Protection to keep the public and professionals informed of the updated situation and relevant information.
Ends/Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:58
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