Hong Kong, 19 February 2022 — Addressing the commencement ceremony of community isolation and treatment facilities this afternoon, the Central Government had commissioned a Mainland construction team to build some 10,000 community isolation and treatment units at Penny’s Bay and Kai Tak within a brief period that would significantly enhance the HKSAR’s anti-epidemic capacity.
The HKSAR Government would also spare no effort in increasing community isolation and treatment facilities by all means, including the requisition of newly completed public housing estates, rental of commercial hotels and conversion of indoor sports centres. Some 20,000 extra units were estimated to be made available for people who tested positive for COVID-19 but had no or mild symptoms for isolation. With the efforts of the anti-epidemic task force of the Security Bureau, three Community Isolation Facility Hotels, namely Dorsett Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, iclub Ma Tau Wai Hotel, and iclub Fortress Hill Hotel, had started taking in confirmed patients.
In addition, the HKSAR Government has decided to turn the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal into a community isolation and treatment facility providing about 1 000 beds. Upon the on-site inspection by the relevant departments on 18 February 2022, works will commence at full speed.
Director of Architectural Services, Ms Winnie Ho (first left), brief the construction process of Penny’s Bay community isolation and treatment facilities
Following the arrival of four Mainland epidemiological experts, several testing technicians and two mobile testing vehicles two days ago, four experts in critical care medicine and 110 nucleic acid testing personnel were sent by the Central Government today to Hong Kong to participate in the anti-epidemic work. The four experts in critical care medicine shared with the health officials of Hong Kong and experts of the Hospital Authority their experience in treating COVID-19 patients on 20 February 2022 to gain a good understanding of how patients, especially those with severe symptoms, are diagnosed, treated and taken care of in Hong Kong. The Mainland specimen collection team will participate in a liaison meeting on work techniques, after which they will immediately commence specimen collection and testing work.
Businesses, be they local enterprises or Mainland enterprises stationing in Hong Kong, had also rendered their full support to the anti-epidemic work in response to appeals. It includes allocating hotels for turning into isolation facilities, setting up vaccination stations at some malls or offices, providing land or venues for the construction of isolation and treatment facilities, ensuring the supply of anti-epidemic provisions and daily necessities to Hong Kong, and donating rapid test kits and anti-epidemic supplies to the grassroots. — Construction+ Online
