Patients' Families Allowed To Visit From April 21

Families of patients at eight hospitals will be able to visit them from April 21, the Hospital Authority said on Wednesday.

Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, a senior executive manager at the authority, Leung Ming, said they will be calling families to make arrangements.

The hospitals are Wong Chuk Hang Hospital, Fung Yiu King Hospital, Haven of Hope Hospital, the Buddhist Hospital, Lai King Building of Princess Margaret Hospital, Cheshire Home in Chung Hom Kok and Sha Tin, and Tin Ka Ping Infirmary at Pok Oi Hospital.

Visits have been suspended since late November, but Leung said they will start allowing one-hour visits, at least once a week, for every patient.

He said visitors will need a negative result for coronavirus from a nucleic acid test done within three days prior to their visit. If it has been more than two weeks after they received both doses of the locally available Covid-19 vaccines, the visitors can instead test themselves using a rapid test kit.

Leung said they do not have a list of rapid test kits from which they will accept results, but those available in supermarkets or registered pharmacies should do.

"We are not recommending any brands because there are many in the market," he said, dismissing concerns that some quick tests may be less accurate.

"They will have to bring the packaging and instructions [of the rapid test kit] with them, so our staff can check the quality and result."

Leung said that those who are fully vaccinated should have antibodies against the coronavirus and the quick test is just for "extra protection".