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Hong Kong’s CHP, along with their local hospital Authority, has issued a statement indicating that 3 of the `close contacts’ of their latest H7N9 case (see Epidemiological Follow-up On HK Imported Case) – who were placed in precautionary quarantine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital – left the premises Wednesday evening without permission.
While the chances that they are infected – or will transmit the virus on to others – is likely low, the CHP is nevertheless `very concerned’ over this biosecurity breach, and has notified local police.
Joint statement by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority
The following is a joint statement issued by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority:
A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (March 6) said that the Government is very concerned that three close contacts of a confirmed human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) who have been put under quarantine in isolation ward of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) left the ward without prior permission from a health officer last night (March 5).
The three persons was put under quarantine in accordance with section 22 of Cap 599A of the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation until March 13.
"We are taking the case very seriously and the CHP has reported this incident to the Police," the spokesman stressed.
"Under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance, a person escapes or attempts to escape from a place of quarantine commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of $5,000 and to imprisonment for six months," he added.
The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesman said that following the quarantine order issued by the DH, QEH admitted the three close contacts in the early morning yesterday (March 5).
The parents were arranged to stay with their son once their negative laboratory results were available at 2.45pm yesterday. Choices on place to continue their quarantine were offered, including Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Centre and a recreational camp. Eventually, the parents preferred to stay in QEH and indicated the wish to stay together.
At around 7pm last night, without informing the ward staff, the family of three left their isolation wards, to which they should be confined to stay according to the quarantine order. Understanding their concern towards the isolation arrangement, two neighbouring isolation rooms have now been arranged for the family of three on the same floor.
"HA and QEH would continue to provide necessary assistance and support to the family during their stay, while appeal for their co-operation and understanding that the arrangement has been made to safeguard public health and in the interests of the community at large," the spokesman added.
Ends/Thursday, March 6, 2014
Issued at HKT 00:21
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