The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority today (July 15) announced information regarding patients who tested positive via admission screening or testing with patients or staff members identified as close contacts and nosocomial COVID-19 infection cases.

     The following are the statistics of patients who tested positive via admission screening or by testing in public hospitals with patients or staff members identified as close contacts:
 

     In addition, a male patient of an orthopaedics and traumatology ward of Queen Elizabeth Hospital tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday (July 14). The hospital commenced contact tracing investigation and arranged testing for all patients and staff members in the ward concerned. Test results of three patients in the same ward were positive for COVID-19. All patients who tested positive are being treated under isolation in stable condition.

     Furthermore, one more female patient in a palliative care ward of Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital tested positive for COVID-19. So far, there are altogether eight patients and five staff members who have tested positive. The patient is being treated under isolation in stable condition.

     Admission and visiting arrangements for the aforementioned wards have been suspended. Thorough cleaning and disinfection have been conducted. The hospitals will continue to monitor the health condition of patients and staff members closely, and communicate with the Centre for Health Protection on the latest situation.

     In light of positive test results for the COVID-19 virus from sewage samples collected in Sai Kung, Sha Tin and Wong Tai Sin Districts, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) said today (July 15) that the Sai Kung District Office (SKDO), the Sha Tin District Office (STDO) and the Wong Tai Sin District Office (WTSDO) have distributed a total of about 245 000 COVID-19 rapid test kits to households, cleansing workers and property management staff living and working in the Districts.

     The SKDO distributed rapid test kits to households, cleansing workers and property management staff living and working in Nan Fung Plaza, LOHAS Park (The Capitol, Hemera, MALIBU, Wings at Sea, Wings at Sea II, Le Prestige – Towers 1 to 3, 5, 9 to 11), The Beaumount and The Beaumount II for voluntary testing through the property management companies.

     The STDO also distributed rapid test kits to households, cleansing workers and property management staff living and working in Saddle Ridge Garden, Kam Lung Court and Villa Athena for voluntary testing through the property management companies and the owners' corporations.

     In addition, the WTSDO distributed rapid test kits to households, cleansing workers and property management staff living and working in Lower Wong Tai Sin (1) Estate for voluntary testing through the property management companies.

     The HAD made the above arrangements in the hope of identifying infected persons early.

     Members of the public may refer to the demonstration video produced by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) under the Department of Health (DH) via www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzFAUzTtmKk to learn how to use the rapid antigen test (RAT) kit.

     Persons testing positive through an RAT should take a photo of the test result and declare the result within 24 hours via the Declaration System for Individuals Tested Positive for COVID-19 Using Rapid Antigen Test (www.chp.gov.hk/ratp). If members of the public encounter difficulties in using the online platform, they can call the automated system at 183 6119 to register their identification document and telephone number. The CHP under the DH will contact the relevant person later to complete the report procedure. There is no need to declare negative test results.

     The Government appeals for the co-operation of members of the public to safeguard the health of themselves and their families by undergoing testing on a voluntary basis and fighting the virus together. The Government urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health condition, or individuals with infection risks (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or had contact with cases that tested positive), to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons to reduce the transmission risks of COVID-19.

      

     Hongkong Post announced today (July 15) that with the gradual scaling up of air capacity provided by airlines, airmail services (including air letter and packet services) to Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the United States will resume from next Monday (July 18).

     Members of the public may visit the webpage of Hongkong Post at www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/notices/index_id_1230.html on the service availability for overseas destinations.

     The Task Force on Supplies from the Mainland led by the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) has been working closely with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government to explore various means to stabilise the supply of goods from the Mainland to Hong Kong.
 
     A spokesperson for the TLB said that the "Sea Express" water transportation service from the Mainland to Hong Kong has been fully launched and its capacity is rising to increase the supplies of fresh food, other daily necessities and manufacturing materials. The current supply of fresh food from the Mainland is stable.
 
     The spokesperson said today (July 15) that Shenzhen operated 49 cargo vessel trips and transported around 3 890 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cross-boundary supplies by water yesterday (July 14), equivalent to about 23 250 tonnes of goods, of which around 10 TEUs (about 30 tonnes) were fresh food and around 3 880 TEUs (about 23 220 tonnes) were non-fresh food, according to information from the Mainland authorities.
 
     Since the launch of services from the three ports in Shenzhen since February 18 to yesterday, a total of around 669 090 TEUs of cross-boundary supplies have been transported, equivalent to about 3 263 310 tonnes of goods, of which around 2 100 TEUs (about 17 910 tonnes) were fresh food and around 666 990 TEUs (about 3 245 400 tonnes) were non-fresh food.
 
     Meanwhile, to avoid a spillover of the epidemic, the Transport Department (TD) arranges for dedicated staff to conduct rapid nucleic acid tests, using nasopharyngeal swabs for specimen collection, for cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers at various land boundary control points. Only drivers with a negative result are allowed to enter the Mainland. A total of 3 969 rapid nucleic acid tests were conducted yesterday, among which six cases that tested preliminarily positive or indeterminate were found. The TD has passed the cases to the Department of Health for follow-up.
 
     The TLB will closely monitor the situation and co-operate with the Mainland authorities to facilitate and implement various measures to ensure both smooth cross-boundary land transport and a stable goods supply to Hong Kong, while reducing the risk of epidemic transmission in both the Mainland and Hong Kong.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Kwong Wah Hospital gave the following update today (July 15) on a patient who left the hospital without prior notification yesterday (July 14):

     The 22-year-old male patient who left the hospital without prior notification yesterday contacted the hospital at noon today. The hospital will continue to follow up on the medical needs of the patient.