Recovering coronavirus patients left ‘hopeless’ after delayed discharge from Hong Kong treatment facility, poor hygiene conditions

Patients at AsiaWorld-Expo’s treatment facility say they were discharged several days late despite meeting requirements to leave

Conditions at the venue left one patient feeling ‘hopeless’ as staff kept saying she would leave ‘later’

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Patients have said they were released from the AsiaWorld-Expo several days late despite completing all necessary testing. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 10:38pm, 6 Feb 2022Updated: 11:53pm, 6 Feb 2022

Recovering Covid-19 patients have complained about being stuck at a treatment facility in Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo despite being clinically ready to be discharged, with some also criticising hygiene conditions at the venue.

Speaking to the Post on Sunday, one patient described spending two days waiting in the facility after she received her discharge notice, while others that she knew had been waiting for three days.

The facility, located in the exhibition hall of AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport, was launched last month to provide 500 beds for the treatment of patients who tested positive for Covid-19 with mild symptoms.

Coronavirus patients are eligible to leave the hospital or treatment facility if they return three test samples with a CT value of 33 or above.

Upon discharge, they are also required to wear electronic tracking wristbands and isolate themselves at home for 14 more days.

A 40-year-old patient, who wished only to be identified as Ann, said she received her discharge notice on Thursday but had waited an extra two days to be released after spending a total of 15 days at the facility.

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Recovering coronavirus patients left ‘hopeless’ after delayed discharge from Hong Kong treatment facility, poor hygiene conditions

Patients at AsiaWorld-Expo’s treatment facility say they were discharged several days late despite meeting requirements to leave Conditions at the venue left one patient feeling ‘hopeless’ as staff kept saying she would leave ‘later’

Patients at AsiaWorld-Expo’s treatment facility say they were discharged several days late despite meeting requirements to leave

Conditions at the venue left one patient feeling ‘hopeless’ as staff kept saying she would leave ‘later’