The Mainland epidemiological expert delegation that is assisting Hong Kong in tackling the fifth wave of the epidemic today (February 19) continued its visit for the third day. They visited Contact Tracing Office (CTO) under the Communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH), and learned about the environmental investigation carried out by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government.
      
     The Mainland expert delegation visited the CTO in San Po Kong this morning to get a better grasp of the epidemiological investigation and contact-tracing of COVID-19 confirmed cases conducted by the HKSAR Government. The expert delegation also shared the contact-tracing experience in the Mainland.
      
     The expert delegation met and exchanged experience with the representatives of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) and the DH in the afternoon. The EPD introduced their work and achievements in environmental investigation of virus transmission to the expert delegation, and analysed the major transmission routes within buildings in Hong Kong. The EMSD presented to the expert delegation an introduction on their work during the epidemic, including the provision of technical advices and support on the design and operation requirements of indoor ventilation system to government departments, assistance in the formulation and constant review of guidelines on improvement of indoor air quality for various premises, and sampling and case investigation work, with a view to reducing the airborne transmission risk of COVID-19 virus in indoor environment.
      
     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, said, "The Government is in a race against time with the highly transmissible Omicron mutant strain. In order to contain the epidemic, we have to trace the close contacts of every confirmed case as soon as possible and conduct environmental investigation rapidly."
      
     Mainland members of the task force of epidemiologists are experts from Guangdong Province, Guangzhou and Zhongshan. They arrived in Hong Kong on February 17 for a five-day visit.

Ends/Saturday, February 19, 2022
Issued at HKT 17:40

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