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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) announced that upon the confirmation of a local human case of swine influenza by the Centre for Health Protection today (May 1), a series of enhanced measures for infection control will be implemented with the activation of Emergency Response Level in public hospitals.
At the same time, the HA Chief Executive Mr Shane Solomon, will activate the Central Command Committee to closely monitor the situation and latest development. The HA Board will also call an Emergency Executive Committee meeting to review the situation and discuss policy issues at the Board level.
The 25-year-old Mexican man with confirmed diagnosis of swine influenza was transferred from Ruttonjee Hospital to the HA Infectious Disease Centre in Princess Margaret Hospital tonight for isolation treatment. His clinical condition is stable.
Following an urgent meeting of the HA Central Committee on Infectious Diseases & Emergency Responses tonight, a series of enhanced infection control measures were endorsed for immediate implementation.
The HA spokesman said the electronic reporting system has been in place to enhance the surveillance and reporting mechanism, in collaboration with the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), for suspected as well as confirmed cases. Furthermore, segregation areas for high risk patients at Accident & Emergency Departments and general out-patient clinics would be set up. All patients would be triaged promptly and assessed for the risk of infection control.
¡°Visitors to public hospitals and clinics are now required to put on surgical masks and perform hand hygiene before and after visiting patient areas. Volunteer services in public hospitals will be suspended.¡±
¡°More stringent infection control measures are now enforced in public hospitals, which include no visiting at isolation wards. For general acute hospitals, visiting hour is limited to not more than two hours a day and two persons at a time; for infirmary/convalescent hospitals, it is limited to not more than four hours a day and two persons at a time.¡±
To enhance the laboratory support for conducting tests for symptomatic patients, the laboratory network at five hospitals, Princess Margaret Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Queen Mary Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital, were activated to provide 24-hour service. They will be working closely with the Public Health Laboratory Centre under Department of Health to meet service demand.
The general public are reminded to look out for the regular update announced by the HA and CHP.
Ends/Friday, May 1, 2009
Issued at HKT 23:57
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