Update on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Preventive Measures (9 March 2022) (只有英文版)

Following the latest announcement made by the HKSAR Government, the Health, Safety and Environment Committee would like to update colleagues and students on the following:

1. Adopting Risk-Based Testing Strategy

In view of the current risk assessment and testing resources of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Government has updated the priorities and channels of testing services, including: distributing rapid test kits base on the risk levels of districts instead of issuing compulsory testing notices (CTN), targeting more higher-risk buildings to conduct restriction-testing declaration (RTD) operations, and streamlining follow-up procedures for confirming positive results in nucleic acid tests and rapid antigen tests (RAT). These aim to focus resources on expediting overall testing process, with a view to confirming positive cases and offering assistance as early as practicable.

https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202202/25/P2022022500816.htm?fontSize=1

• Tested positive or preliminary positive by Rapid Antigen Test (RAT)

The Centre for Health Protection advises the public to use online platform (https://www.chp.gov.hk/ratp) as far as possible to report the RAT results. If online platform cannot be used, the public can register personal Hong Kong Identity Card and telephone number through “COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test Telephone Reporting System” at 1836119. The Centre for Health Protection will contact the public and conduct telephone interview to complete the reporting process.

• Tested positive or preliminary positive by Nucleic Acid Test

People with positive or preliminary positive COVID-19 nucleic acid test results will receive an SMS notification about the result, together with a request to fill in an electronic form (https://www.chp.gov.hk/cdpi) to submit information, including those on family members living in the same household. This is to facilitate the work of the Centre for Health Protection such as epidemiological investigation and arrangement of hospital admission, isolation and quarantine. People who receive the relevant SMS should check the personal information and information on testing in the SMS carefully and fill in the electronic form as soon as possible to provide accurate and complete information.

 

2. Latest Criteria For Discharge From Isolation And Home Quarantine

Infected persons who have been sent to Community Isolation Facilities (CIF) and persons pending admission may conduct RATs on Day 6 and Day 7 after tested positive (currently the day following testing or collection of sample is counted as Day 1; if there is no such testing or collection record, the day on receiving the test result is counted as Day 1) should they have received at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Similarly, close contacts who have received at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccines may conduct RATs on Day 6 and Day 7 of the home quarantine period. If they obtain negative test results during RATs on these two successive days, they may leave CIF or home premises earlier on Day 7 for their daily activities. Conversely, if they obtain at least one positive test result during RATs on these two successive days, they may subsequently conduct RATs on a daily basis. They may immediately leave CIF or home premises for their daily activities after they obtain negative test results for two successive days. They do not need to wait for their household members to recover or complete quarantine. For ease of understanding, please visit the flowchart via https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/pa_early_flowchart.pdf

If close contacts who have received at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccines find more household member(s) tested positive during the home quarantine period, these close contacts should count the day following testing or collection of sample of the last person tested positive at home as Day 1 for the purpose of conducting RATs.

The latest criteria mentioned above is NOT applicable to those who have not been vaccinated or have only received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, as well as household contacts of close contacts who only need to undergo home quarantine for four days under the "StayHomeSafe" Scheme.

For details, please refer to the related announcements:

https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202202/26/P2022022600750.htm?fontSize=1

https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202203/06/P2022030500719.htm?fontSize=1

 

3. Health Advice

 

All members of the Lingnan community are advised at all times to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene, which is the key to personal protection against infection and prevention of the spread of the disease in the community. Special attention to the following highlights is required:

 

• All members shall wear masks on campus including indoor and outdoor at all times. It is important to wear a mask properly, including hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask.  In case wearing mask is not feasible, for example when having meal or shower, please keep at least 1.5 meters distance from others.  All members shall note the followings when wearing a mask:

1. Choose the appropriate mask size to completely cover your nose, mouth and chin without gaps.
2. Attain good seal with the face by minimizing air leak from edges.
3. Masks with exhalation valve or vents which allow exhaling air to escape should not be used due to the fact that exhaled air are unfiltered and may pose a risk to surrounding people if the wearer is infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory infectious diseases.

 

For details, please refer to the Supplementary Note on Use Mask Properly at https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/supplementary_note_on_use_mask_properly_choose_the_right_surgical_mask_eng.pdf

       

• All members are urged to stay home to the extent possible, avoid dine in, reduce the frequency of all mask-off activities, staggering meal time with roommates and colleagues in the same room, and stop all unnecessary social activities, especially meal gatherings across family bubbles and friends.

 

• As lavatories and pantries are shared for use in hostel blocks, all residents are reminded to be considerate and keep the facilities clean after use.

 

• All members shall check your body temperature before coming back to campus. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, respiratory symptoms or sudden loss of taste or smell, you should seek medical advice promptly and not come back campus for classes or work.

 

• Under Cap.599I, any person who is entering or present in public place cannot take off their mask for smoking. The scope of reasonable excuses for taking-off mask under Cap.599I does not include smoking. Smokers are more likely to touch their mask and face with their hands during smoking, leading to increased chance of infection. Besides, smoking damages lungs and weakens immunity. Smokers who have contracted COVID-19 are more likely to develop severe complications. We appeal to all members to avoid smoking in public places, including along the bridge connecting Main Campus and SEK Campus and Pan Sutong Sports Ground, and to quit smoking whenever possible. For information on smoking and COVID-19, please visit the website of the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office or dial Quit line 1833 183.

 

• To assist contact tracing, keep a diary of your schedule, for example, the places you visited and the name of people you had close contact on campus. You may also use the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app to keep your visit records.

 

 

Resources Corner

 

For information on COVID-19, please refer to the following links:

1. HKSAR’s Thematic webpage on COVID-19 at:  www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/index.html
2. Webpage of Health, Safety and Environment Committee https://www.ln.edu.hk/hse
3. Webpage on Mental Health Infostation at the following link: https://shallwetalk.hk/en/news/covid-19-and-mental-health/

 

If you are suspected or confirmed as infected or required to stay in the “restricted area” for COVID-19 test or under mandatory quarantine or compulsory testing notice, please notify your department / office or any of the following teams as soon as possible:

 

Thank you for your kind attention.

 

Best Regards,
Weixin Shang

Chairman, Health, Safety and Environment Committee