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Karen Zhang

Dr Vincent Cheng Chi-chung recalls the exact moment he received the Health Authority text message on his mobile phone, at 7.45pm on March 18.
The infection control officer was among about 100 health care personnel and other staff called up to perform what seemed to be a “mission impossible” – they had less than 48 hours to convert a 60,000 sq ft exhibition hall at the AsiaWorld-Expo into a temporary testing facility for Covid-19.

The temporary centre was needed to screen all travellers from overseas who arrived with symptoms at the nearby Hong Kong International Airport. 

At the time the city was recording dozens of new Covid-19 cases daily, and bracing itself for a surge in imported and community infections.
“The situation was a bit serious, with many inbound travellers with symptoms held up at the airport waiting to be tested,” said Larry Lee Lap-yip, the Health Authority’s deputy hospital chief executive.


The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in more than 3 million confirmed infections worldwide, and more than 200,000 deaths. Hong Kong has recorded more than 1,000 cases, four of whom have died.
The team assigned to convert the expo halls included about 40 doctors and 36 nurses, as well as administrative staff, information technology professionals and cleaners.

Working from a plan designed by the authority’s infectious disease experts, doctors and nurses, they set up separate areas in the hall for patients and medical staff.
The facility was designed to handle six to eight people per hour. Once tested, they had to wait several hours for results and, if positive, had to be sent to hospital or, if cleared, start 14 days of mandatory home quarantine.

The centre needed proper infection control measures, and that meant paying close attention to every detail, including the toilets.
Toilets for medical staff had to be separated from those used by patients, and engineers made sure there was no danger of cross-infection via the ventilation from the patients’ toilets.
to have their nasal and throat swabs collected for testing in hospital laboratories.

Chau Lai-ching, a nurse at Yan Chai Hospital who volunteered to work at the testing facility, said she had to tell people their results.
Those who tested negative were relieved to be able to return home to start their two-week quarantine.
It was hard to break the news to those who tested positive and had to be sent to hospital.
Musician from Hong Kong’s Covid-19 bar cluster recounts horror
“Many were long-distance travellers who had already spent more than 10 hours on their flights, before waiting several hours for their test results” she said. “Now those who tested positive had to wait even longer to be admitted to hospital.”
However, she said most patients did not complain and some thanked the nurses for helping to run the centre. “I felt encouraged working there,” she said.

Male nurse Ng Chun-yuen recalled a young man who became emotional when he was told that his result was positive.
He kept asking how he could have become infected despite taking all the proper measures and avoiding contact with others.
Hong Kong returns to zero cases after earlier 5-day streak broken
The testing centre remained open until April 19. As the number of travellers to Hong Kong dropped sharply, the centre started testing people who were under home quarantine, including some who were contacts of close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 patients.
The Hospital Authority ran a second temporary testing centre at North Lantau Hospital until April 5, for those over 60 years old and children up to the age of 12.
Between March 20 and April 19 the two centres tested 1,400 people, of whom 104 were confirmed to have Covid-19.


Overall, 7.4 per cent of the total tested positive. Among travellers from the airport, 8 per cent tested positive, while 10 per cent of secondary contacts were found to be infected.
On March 26, the Department of Health set up a temporary specimen collection centre at the expo facility to collect deep throat saliva samples from mainly asymptomatic travellers. It said it collected around 15,000 samples by April 28.
Looking back at the experience of setting up and running the temporary expo facility, Cheng said he and his colleagues were glad to help prevent Hong Kong’s health care system from being overburdened by dealing with potential imported cases.

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Race to set up coronavirus screening centre near Hong Kong airport pays off, easing burden on public hospitals

Staff working in different areas at the expo testing facility were separated by barriers. Photo: Handout

Staff at the testing centres at AsiaWorld-Expo and North Lantau Hospital, where people - who have entered the Hong Kong International Airport with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection - conduct virus tests and wait for laboratory results, at Chek Lap Kok. 23MAR20 SCMP / Winson Wong

Equipment at the testing facility at AsiaWorld-Expo was under UV-light sterilization before being sent back to Hospital Authority. HANDOUT PHOTO

Ambulances leaves AsiaWorld-Expo in Chek Lap Kok after picking up people. 20MAR20 SCMP / Sam Tsang

People left after virus test at Asia-World Expo. The Hospital Authority started today to set up testing centres at AsiaWorld-Expo and North Lantau Hospital to divert people who have entered the Hong Kong International Airport with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection to conduct virus tests and wait for laboratory results. 20MAR20 SCMP/ Winson Wong

Staff from the Hospital Authority worked at the temporary testing facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. HANDOUT PHOTO

(Front, seated on sofa L-R) Dr Vincent Cheng Chi-chung, Infection Control Officer of Hong Kong West Cluster & Chief of Service (Microbiology) of Queen Mary Hospital; Dr Bosco Lam Hoi-shiu, Associate Consultant Microbiologist of Princess Margaret Hospital & Infection Control Officer of North Lantau Hospital; Dr Larry Lee Lap-yip, Deputy Hospital Chief Executive & Consultant (A&E) of Tin Shui Wai Hospital; and Dr Leung Ming, Chief Nursing Officer of Hospital Authority. (Back L-R) Chau Lai-ching, Registered Nurse (Orthopaedics & Traumatology) of Yan Chai Hospital; Wong Shuk-ching, Senior Nursing Officer (Infection Control Team) of Hong Kong West Cluster; and Ng Chun-yuen, registered Nurse (Medicine & Geriatrics) of Pok Oi Hospital, meets the press at the Hospital Authority Headquarters in Mong Kok. 29APR20 SCMP / Jonathan Wong

Coronavirus pandemic exposes Hong Kong’s inadequate links between public, private hospitals as patients left waiting for treatment

Hongkongers needing elective treatment unrelated to the coronavirus face longer waits during the epidemic. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hospital Authority Chairman Henry Fan Hung-ling photographed in Mong Kok. 28APR20 SCMP / K. Y. Cheng

Second-tier isolation ward at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan. 31MAR20 SCMP / Sam Tsang

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A ban on tables of more than four people is expected to be relaxed. Photo: Felix Wong

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Travellers among 1,400 tested at AsiaWorld-Expo, 104 found to be infected
Health Authority doctors, nurses among team that converted expo hall into test centre



Team recalls race to set up temporary facility. Travellers among 1,400 tested at AsiaWorld-Expo, 104 found to be infected.


Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Disease

Race to set up coronavirus screening centre near Hong Kong airport pays off, easing burden on public hospitals

Travellers among 1,400 tested at AsiaWorld-Expo, 104 found to be infected Health Authority doctors, nurses among team that converted expo hall into test centre

Travellers among 1,400 tested at AsiaWorld-Expo, 104 found to be infected

Health Authority doctors, nurses among team that converted expo hall into test centre