New Facilities For Covid-19 Patients Under Study

A top Hospital Authority official said on Friday that authorities are looking at setting up facilities outside hospitals to admit coronavirus patients in a stable condition or with mild symptoms, so there are more isolation beds available for patients in a serious condition.

Director of cluster services, Deacons Yeung, made the comment after the SAR reported a surge in the number of imported Covid-19 cases in the past week.

Yeung warned that the city's hospitals will be under more pressure if the number of imported Covid-19 cases continues to increase.

In an interview with RTHK, Yeung said that the Food and Health Bureau is looking into setting up community treatment or isolation facilities to admit coronavirus patients with mild symptoms and who are in a stable condition.

He said that these facilities would be carefully selected so that they are far away from residential areas and can care for multiple patients.

Yeung also said that the Hospital Authority has about three months' worth of personal protective equipment, and that the supply of items such as surgical masks and protective clothing is stable.

But he said officials are still looking for alternative suppliers for N95 masks because of the surge in demand globally.

He said the HA will carry out a review over protective equipment when the epidemic has ended.

As of Thursday, Hong Kong had recorded 1,193 infections, with seven fatalities.

A total of 85 confirmed patients were still in hospital, of which one was in a critical condition and 84 were stable.