The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for the North District Hospital made the following announcement today (May 13) concerning a malfunction incident of the negative pressure system in the isolation ward last night (May 12):
 
     At around 11.32pm last night, a resident staff of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) noted via the central control and monitoring system that a damper of the negative pressure exhaust system in a single room of the Hospital's isolation ward was unstable, triggering the system alarm. The same damper had been found to have malfunctioned on May 10 afternoon. The EMSD staff immediately adjusted the damper. The system resumed normal in three minutes. The negative pressure exhaust system of the other cubicles and rooms of the isolation ward was functioning properly during the incident.
 
     A patient was hospitalised in that room and was not a COVID-19 confirmed case. The ward staff inside the ward had all worn appropriate personal protective equipment including N95 respirators and isolation gowns. The infection risk has been assessed to be extremely low. The room has been vacated for the EMSD's thorough checking and repair.
 
     The Hospital is very concerned that three different malfunction incidents have occurred in the negative pressure system of the isolation ward within a week. The Hospital has urged the EMSD to thoroughly check the whole system to ensure its proper functioning and to submit a detailed investigation report.
 
     The incident has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advance Incident Reporting System.

Ends/Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Issued at HKT 22:35

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