Care home staff virus tests set

2020-10-20 14:06:56

The Social Welfare Department announced today that the fourth round of free COVID-19 testing services will be arranged for staff of residential care homes for the elderly, residential care homes for persons with disabilities and nursing homes from tomorrow.

This round of testing will last for about three weeks.

Employees, including full-time, part-time, imported and relief staff as well as outsourced contract service workers such as out-patient escort staff are covered in the new round of testing.

In this exercise, testing will also be arranged on a trial basis for newly admitted residents, residents who need to go out for medical purposes, service users of day care or rehabilitation services units attached to residential care homes and other residents who are willing to undergo testing.

Participants have to collect their deep throat saliva specimens by themselves for testing.

Specimens with a preliminarily positive COVID-19 test result will be referred to the Department of Health's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch for confirmatory tests while confirmed cases will be followed up by the Centre for Health Protection.

The department has also provided free testing services on a voluntary basis for staff of subvented or subsidised welfare service units at a higher risk since September 28.

A total of 1,100 welfare units including community care service units for the elderly and people with disabilities, other residential care service units, child care centres and day training service units for people with disabilities have been invited to join the testing.

As the testing programme is still underway, the department called on family members of the residents to encourage their relatives residing in the institutions to participate.

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