The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Yan Chai Hospital (YCH) made the following announcement today (February 7) concerning a patient confirmed preliminarily positive for COVID-19:
 
     An 83-year-old female patient sought treatment at YCH Accident and Emergency Department on February 5 due to persistent abdominal pain. During consultation, she presented with fever but she did not have any respiratory symptoms. She was then admitted to the surgical ward for further treatment. The admission screening for COVID-19 for the patient turned out to be preliminarily positive. She was then transferred to the isolation ward for treatment. Her condition had been stable. 
 
     The Infection Control Team of YCH conducted contact tracing for the patients and hospital staff who had been in contact with the patient concerned. Five inpatients who had stayed in the same cubicle in the surgical ward with the patient concerned were classified as close contacts and had been quarantined.  All staff members working in the ward concerned were equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment in accordance with infection control guidelines. No aerosol generating procedures had been performed during that period. So far, none of the staff members is being classified as close contacts, while contact tracing is still underway.
 
     The hospital has arranged thorough cleansing and disinfection of the ward concerned. The hospital will continue to closely monitor the health condition of our staff and patients and communicate with the Centre for Health Protection on the latest situation.

Ends/Sunday, February 7, 2021
Issued at HKT 18:40

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