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| Lady MacLehose Holiday Village -Quarantine Center |
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In 2003, during another novel coronavirus epidemic, SARS was brought under control largely due to the proactive use of quarantines. Often misunderstood by the public, the difference between quarantine and isolation is summed up by the CDC:
- Isolation applies to persons who are known to be ill with a contagious disease.
- Quarantine applies to those who have been exposed to a contagious disease but who may or may not become ill.
In other countries, however - where transmission risks were greater - quarantines were used (quite successfully) in order to contain the virus.
- Singapore was one of the first countries to mandate quarantines when more than 800 family members of SARS patients were ordered to stay in their homes.
- Hong Kong sealed part of the Amoy Gardens Apartment complex after scores of cases erupted there, and later moved all remaining residents to two holiday camps where they were quarantined.
- And Toronto, Canada closed schools and quarantined thousands in their bid to contain the virus (see The SARS Experience In Ontario, Canada).
A 2003 MMWR report from China’s CDC, called Efficiency of quarantine during an epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome--Beijing, China, 2003 found:
The use of quarantine, in combination with enhanced surveillance, isolation of SARS patients, and comprehensive use of PPE by health-care workers, appears to have been effective in controlling the recent epidemic of SARS in Beijing.
Limiting quarantine to persons who have contact with an actively ill SARS patient will likely improve the efficiency of quarantine and allow for better focus of resources in future outbreaks.But SARS had the virtue of not being readily transmissible from human-to-human until after symptoms appeared, making it easier to control. We've seen growing evidence of asymptomatic transmission with 2019-nCoV, and that may seriously undermine the effectiveness of any quarantines.
While quarantine may not halt the spread of this novel coronavirus, it might slow it down, at least in the early stages of the epidemic. And for that reason, aggressive, compulsory quarantines are still part of Hong Kong's emergency response.That said, once the number of cases in the community reach critical mass, any benefits of quarantines quickly vanish.
Increasing quarantine facilities to cooperate with epidemic prevention strategies
February 3, 2020
Xu Deyi, deputy director of the Food and Health Bureau, said that in order to strengthen the epidemic prevention, close contacts of patients confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus must undergo compulsory quarantine.
Xu Deyi said at a press conference today that there are currently three quarantine centers in operation, including Madame MacLehose Resort, Lei Yue Men Park Resort, and Baoliang Bureau Jockey Club Beitan Chung Holiday Camp, which provides a total of 97 units. As of 9 am today, a total of 87 people have stayed in the quarantine center, using 76 units.
He pointed out that Rao Zongyi Cultural Center and Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Center will also be used as quarantine centers. Rao Zongyi Cultural Center will soon be put into operation, and it is expected to provide about 50 units. In addition, the authorities have added a total of about 300 units at the Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre and the three existing quarantine centres at full speed.
Xu Deyi pointed out that the target of the compulsory quarantine arrangement is not only for the quarantine recipients, but also for each citizen. He hopes that the whole society will work hard to fight the epidemic.
