Update on anti-epidemic medical supplies from Mainland

     The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said today (February 28) that the task force of ensuring medical supplies led by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, has been working closely with their Mainland counterparts. Various kinds of medical supplies are arriving in Hong Kong in batches.
 
     To date, the task force has received more than 16 million rapid antigen test (RAT) kits. Except those reserved for the Compulsory Universal Testing (CUT), about 9 million RAT kits have been distributed through relevant departments to specified high-risk and target groups. Meanwhile, 1.8 million RAT kits have been sent to the Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link (the Link) by the Home Affairs Department for distribution to members of the public in various districts.
 
     About 300 000 pulse oximeters received from the Mainland have all been distributed to the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA) for patient use.
 
     Also, the task force so far has received more than 29 million N95 and KN95 masks. While the masks are reserved mainly for public use during the CUT for enhancing protection, 500 000 of them have been delivered to frontline staff of the DH and the disciplined services.
     
     Meanwhile, the task force is receiving a total of 350 000 boxes of anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines, including a batch arriving in Hong Kong soon. Among them, 70 000 boxes and 50 000 boxes have been given to the Link and other local organisations respectively for distribution to the community.
 
     The remaining 230 000 boxes of the 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 in the soonest manner, 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.