Government follows up on positive results of sewage surveillance and appeals to residents to undergo virus testing
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Rapid test
As regards positive sewage testing results in Central and Western, Eastern, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, North and Sai Kung Districts, the Home Affairs Department (including Central and Western, Eastern, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, North and Sai Kung District Offices) will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to residents and all cleansing workers and property management staff working in the following areas (see Annex) starting from today (February 21) for them to take the test on their own, in order to help identifying infected persons –
- Sewage Testing Area Central and Western Site 2A (Part) - Kwun Lung Lau
- Sewage Testing Area Eastern Site 3A (Part) - Tung Chun Court
- Sewage Testing Area Kowloon City Site 1 (Part) - Tak Long Estate
- Sewage Testing Area Kwun Tong Site 2-3 - Tsui On House of Tsui Ping (North) Estate
- Sewage Testing Area Kwun Tong Site 5A (Part) - Garden Estate (9 blocks)
- Sewage Testing Area Northern Site 2A-3 (Part) - Yin Kong
- Sewage Testing Area Sai Kung Site TPS-01 - Twin Peaks in Tseung Kwan O
In addition, the Home Affairs Department (North District Office) will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to all cleansing workers and property management staff working in the following area (see Annex) starting from today (February 21) for them to take the test on their own, in order to help identifying infected persons. The Government appeals to residents and those working in these areas who have been exposed to infection risks to undergo testing on a voluntary basis to achieve "early identification, early isolation and early treatment".
- Sewage Testing Area Northern Site 5A (Part) – Wah Ming Estate
Members of the public may refer to (www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzFAUzTtmKk) for enquiries relating to the use of the rapid test kits.
When using a rapid test kit, please pay attention to and follow the instructions from the manufacturer to perform the test and read the result properly. It is advisable to record the displayed result by taking a photo immediately after reading. Users should wash their hands before and after performing the tests, and avoid placing non-essential items within the specimen collection area. If the household environment is contaminated during the specimen collecting process, disinfection should be conducted with 1 in 49 diluted bleach solution or 70 per cent alcohol.
Since rapid antigen testing can only serve as a reference, it cannot replace the nucleic acid testing that is at present the gold standard for diagnosis of COVID-19. When positive result is obtained in a rapid test, one should further undergo nucleic acid testing for confirmation. For the sake of prudence, they should take personal protective measures, stay home and avoid going out as far as practicable. They should request relatives or friends to obtain through existing channels and deliver to them deep throat saliva specimen collection packs.
If people living or working in the areas with positive sewage testing results are tested positive with the rapid test kits, starting from today (February 21), they may also call 2280 4772, the Government’s 24-hour hotline for “persons tested positive with rapid antigen tests in areas with positive sewage testing results”, to arrange for door-to-door delivery of nasal swab self-sampling kits and collection of the specimen for PCR confirmatory testing free of charge. If the result is still positive, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority will treat the case as tested positive/preliminarily positive under the mechanism. Should these persons begin to develop symptoms before results are available, they may consult their family doctors for advice according to their needs. When severe symptoms (e.g. prolonged fever at 38 degrees Celsius or above, or signs such as shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain) are developed, members of the public are urged to call the 999 hotline for arranging ambulance transfer to hospital as early as possible.
Ends/Monday, February 21, 2022
Issued at HKT 0:18
Issued at HKT 0:18
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