The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said today (March 6) that the task force of ensuring medical supplies has been working closely with its Mainland counterparts and various kinds of medical supplies are arriving in Hong Kong in batches.
The task force has so far received more than 23 million rapid antigen test (RAT) kits. Except those reserved for the Compulsory Universal Testing (CUT), more than 12 million RAT kits have been distributed through relevant departments and the Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link (the Link) to members of the public in various districts, specified high-risk and target groups.
More than 410 000 pulse oximeters so far received by the task force have all been distributed to the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA) for patient use.
Also, the task force has received over 45 million N95 masks, KN95 masks, and surgical masks. Apart from reserving the masks for public use during the CUT for enhancing protection, about 1.1 million of them have been delivered to frontline staff of the DH and the disciplined services. The task force is also receiving various personal protective equipment, including 20 000 isolation gowns, 90 000 goggles, 240 000 face shields, 65 000 pairs of shoe covers and over 1.9 million pairs of surgical/examination gloves, which will be distributed to frontline staff through various government departments according to their needs.
The task force is receiving a total of 450 000 boxes of anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines, including the batch arriving in Hong Kong progressively. Among them, 170 000 boxes have been given to the Link and other local organisations for distribution to the community. Meanwhile, some of the proprietary Chinese medicines are being given to residents subject to "restriction-testing declarations" via the Food and Health Bureau.
The remaining proprietary Chinese medicines are being distributed through relevant departments to those receiving treatment at 18 Chinese medicine clinics under the HA and people who had tested positive at isolation facilities, allowing citizens in need to obtain these proprietary Chinese medicines donated by the Central Government as soon as possible, in order to fight the virus together.
The task force will continue to co-ordinate with various government departments and agencies on the medical supplies needed to ensure that resources can be expeditiously supplied to Hong Kong to cope with the epidemic.
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