Coronavirus | Community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo reopens today

With the rapid deterioration of the epidemic situation in Hong Kong, the Hospital Authority (HA) today (Nov. 25) reactivates the community treatment facility (CTF) in Hall 1 and Hall 2 of the AsiaWorld Expo (AWE), providing 200 beds at the first stage to receive patients aged 18 to 60 with mild symptoms or with preliminary diagnosis. More than 40 confirmed patients are expected to arrive on the first day.

HA indicated that patients with mild symptoms will be sent directly to Hall 1 for treatment, where x-rays, blood tests, and deep throat saliva samples will be taken. Patients that are tested preliminarily positive will be sent to Hall 2 first and then to Hall 1 if the diagnosis is confirmed. There won't be any sort of contact between patients in Hall 1 and those in Hall 2.

On the staffing side, according to HA, more than 150 health care providers, 40 private doctors and 20 private nurses will serve in the first phase. As the epidemic develops, AWE will open Halls 8 to 11 as appropriate, with a maximum capacity of 1,900 beds in total.

With the support of the Central Government, the community treatment facility (CTF) expansion at AWE was successfully completed in October. It was established to help alleviate the demand pressure of public hospital isolation beds under the worsening epidemic situations in HK.