Caritas Medical Centre announces a nurse tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19
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The spokesman of Caritas Medical Centre (CMC) made the following announcement today (December 26) regarding a nurse tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19:
A male nurse of the Isolation Ward attended Accident and Emergency Department on December 25 due to fever. He was arranged to undergo COVID-19 test and the test result was preliminarily positive for COVID-19. He has been admitted for treatment under isolation with stable condition.
The last duty day of the nurse concerned was December 23. He performed general clinical nursing care duties in isolation ward including nursing care to COVID-19 confirmed patients. After receiving the notification, the hospital's infection control team conducted contact tracing and noted that the nurse concerned was equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment in accordance with infection control guidelines. Two nurses who had a short face-to-face conversation with the nurse concerned without mask protection during meal time were classified as close contact and required quarantine.
Besides, one of the family members of the nurse concerned, who is also a nurse working in the Orthopaedics and Traumatology ward of CMC, was classified as a close contact and received the COVID-19 test. The test result is pending.
As the nurse concerned had meals with family members and friends during incubation period, there is not adequate information to determine the source of infection at this stage. The hospital will work with Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up. As a precautionary measure, viral tests were arranged for the staff members of the ward concerned and 16 of them were tested negative.
The hospital completed thorough cleansing and disinfection for the ward concerned, staff pantry and changing room. The hospital would continue to closely monitor the health condition of the staff members and patients and communicate with the Centre for Health Protection on the latest situation.
Ends/Saturday, December 26, 2020
Issued at HKT 21:05
Issued at HKT 21:05
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