The Hospital Authority has completed the preparation work for the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre which will start admitting confirmed COVID-19 patients with suitable clinical conditions on February 26.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam visited the centre today to thank healthcare staff and officiated at the service commencement ceremony together with Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Qiu Hong.

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan and Secretary for Development Michael Wong also joined the ceremony.

The centre will first open a ward with 48 isolation beds tomorrow to admit COVID-19 patients aged between 16 and 65 with mild or moderate clinical conditions.

According to the developments of the epidemic, the centre could progressively take over patients staying in the community treatment facility for more efficient deployment of manpower and resources.

Following the handover of the centre to the Hospital Authority in January, the authority immediately started preparation work, such as installing and calibrating medical equipment, performing various tests, formulating service operation guidelines and providing appropriate staff training.

The authority pointed out that there are six two-storey ward buildings with 816 isolation beds at the centre and that all wards are equipped with hospital-grade isolation facilities.

Unlike the community treatment facility in an exhibition hall, the centre is able to provide intravenous medication and oxygen therapy, which can help alleviate the pressure for isolation beds in public hospitals.

In addition, the six independent blocks of ward buildings can be activated in phases according to the evolving epidemic situation, allowing more flexibility in manpower deployment and operational arrangements.

The authority added that the laboratory at the medical centre is equipped with state-of-the-art and fully automated laboratory equipment to handle a maximum of 1,500 specimens per day and augment the overall laboratory capacity of public hospitals by about 15%, further boosting Hong Kong’s overall testing capability.