Health Bureau's response to media enquiries on mechanism for confinees to temporarily leave place of quarantine
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Generally speaking, under the prevailing arrival quarantine procedures, all inbound persons, unless exempted, are required to undergo quarantine. Under special circumstances, permission may be granted by an authorised officer of the Department of Health (DH) for confinees to temporarily leave the place of quarantine and visit a relative who is critically ill. The confinees are required to provide relevant supporting documents such as a letter issued by the hospital. The DH will assess the application with consideration of the public health risk. In the case of making a visit to a hospital, the confinee should have sought the approval from the officer-in-charge of the hospital beforehand.
The Health Bureau noted that family members of the patient are residing overseas and planning their way back to Hong Kong to visit the patient. According to the bureau's communication with the relevant contact persons, it is learnt that family members of the patient have already secured arrangements for their flight to Hong Kong and accommodation at a Designated Quarantine Hotel. The bureau will provide assistance as far as possible in accordance with the existing mechanism, so that the family members can visit the patient at the hospital as soon as they have completed the necessary inbound quarantine procedures upon arrival in Hong Kong, including obtaining negative test results and quarantine orders.
Ends/Friday, July 29, 2022
Issued at HKT 19:52
Issued at HKT 19:52
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