(Fighting New Coronary Pneumonia) The Hong Kong Social Welfare Department is preparing to launch the second round of testing for staff in residential institutions in the next few days
China News Service, Hong Kong, August 9. Luo Zhiguang, Director of the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced on his blog on the 9th that the Social Welfare Department (SWD) is preparing to initiate a second round of virus testing for employees of institutions in the next few days.
Luo Zhiguang published a blog titled "Epidemic prevention in residential homes for the elderly" and stated that the epidemic has repeated, and community infections occurred in early July, and groups of infections began to appear in the homes. Although the staff in the institutions themselves are not considered to be a high-risk group, if they bring the virus into the institutions and the frail residents are infected, the consequences will be serious.
Therefore, the SWD has arranged for the testing agency to collect a total of more than 32,600 throat swab samples from July 14 to August 4 for employees in residential care homes and homes for people with disabilities who voluntarily participate in all districts in Hong Kong. A total of 1085 homes in 1048 premises are involved. The employee participation rate is about 86%. So far, one employee has tested positive and later diagnosed.
Luo Zhiguang said that learning from the experience of the first round of testing, the SWD is preparing to start the second round of testing in the next few days.
Luo Zhiguang also said that in order to further assist the homes in responding to the epidemic, the SWD will invite relevant homes for the elderly and homes for the disabled to complete relevant tests in the next two weeks and arrange for a team of outreach doctors to visit the homes. , To provide professional improvement suggestions on the actual situation of its infection control, and to teach staff on-site knowledge and skills about epidemic prevention, so as to further enhance the awareness and skills of infection control of frontline staff in the hospital, thereby improving the overall environmental hygiene of the hospital and reducing it The spread of infectious diseases.
In addition, improving the indoor ventilation level of the hospitals can help reduce the spread of the virus in the hospitals. The SWD is working with relevant departments to explore feasible solutions to improve indoor ventilation in private homes for the elderly and homes for the disabled. (Finish)