People Linked To Hospital Cluster To Be Tested

Health officials have demanded those who've been to two wards at the United Christian Hospital between the 15th and 27th of this month to get a Covid-19 test, following an outbreak at the facility's intensive and palliative care units.

So far, 19 patients and staff have either tested positive or preliminary positive for the virus, with authorities linking the cluster to an 84-year-old “super spreader” patient who had stayed at both wards earlier this month.

A chief manager of the Hospital Authority, Dr Lau Ka-hin, said on Sunday that the mandatory testing order will cover those who had been to the hospital’s intensive care unit or the palliative ward 2D.

“About 60 to 70 staff who are working at ward 2D or who had gone into ward 2D will be sent to the quarantine centre,” Lau said, while calling on all other hospital staff to get tested.

“All the staff working at the United Christian Hospital will be encouraged to do the test at the community testing centre. Currently, we have 6,000-7,000 staff at the UCH.”

This comes as the city reported 70 new Covid-19 cases, with just one imported infection.

The case involves an 18-year-old man who came back from the UK earlier this month.

He only tested positive 19 days after his arrival, and the Centre for Health Protection is investigating whether he had caught the virus locally.

Meanwhile, 23 of the local cases had no known source of infection.