Virus test centres in operation

March 20, 2020

Hospital Authority Chief Manager (Clinical Effectiveness & Technology Management) Dr Linda Yu:
For the (test) centres just established in AsiaWorld-Expo and North Lantau Hospital, the main purpose is to decrease the congestion in hospitals with symptomatic returnees. So our main target is symptomatic cases who return from overseas. 

We will use the experience from these two days to see whether there are a lot of symptomatic cases. As to whether to test the asymptomatic cases, I understand that the Department of Health is now providing some specimen bottles to (collect) random samples from returnees. So we may see the results together.

(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Temporary COVID-19 test centres are now operating at AsiaWorld-Expo and North Lantau Hospital, the Hospital Authority said today.

The authority’s Chief Manager (Clinical Effectiveness & Technology Management) Dr Linda Yu explained at a press briefing that the main purpose for establishing the test centres is to decrease congestion in hospitals since the number of symptomatic returnees from overseas has been increasing.

She emphasised that the test centres target returnees exhibiting virus symptoms.

Dr Yu said: "We will use the experience from these two days to see whether there are a lot of symptomatic cases.

"As to whether to test the asymptomatic cases, I understand that the Department of Health is now providing some specimen bottles to collect random samples from returnees. So we may see the results together."