Transcript of remarks by CE at media session at Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session at Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point this afternoon (March 16):
 
Reporter: How can this new batch of Mainland medical personnel contribute to Hong Kong's fight against the epidemic? And also, what will be their priority of work? Will they work in other medical facilities besides AWE (AsiaWorld-Expo)?
 
Chief Executive: This afternoon I received another major delegation of Mainland medical personnel to come to Hong Kong to assist the Hospital Authority in the treatment of patients. This is a big group of a total of 300 medical, nursing and other support staff. Their major area of deployment will be the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) exhibition halls, where we have a community treatment centre. At the moment, this community treatment centre at AWE has a number of halls being converted into a community treatment facility, just like a ward in a hospital, with about 1 500 beds. But unfortunately because of the lack of staff in the Hospital Authority, we have not been able to fully utilise this facility. The arrival of this major assistance from the Mainland will enable the Hospital Authority to make good use of the community treatment centre at AWE, which means that more infected COVID-19 patients will be able to receive medical care in this facility. I'm sure it will be a major boost to the Hospital Authority's ability. One is because they are all highly qualified and well trained medical personnel working in the highest grade of hospitals in Guangdong Province. The other is that they have all been selected to come based on their knowledge of Cantonese, their knowledge of English, and also their anti-epidemic experience in Guangdong or in other parts of the Mainland, just like in Wuhan. They are also very young. They will be a major boost to the workforce of the Hospital Authority.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)