FAQs about Infection Control

• Staff and students who have been to areas known to be affected by COVID-19 will be invited to fill in a health questionnaire and are reminded to observe the necessary personal and environmental hygiene precautions and responses
• We continue to follow closely the latest guidelines of the Centre for Health Protection for reporting and handling of suspected cases
• Infection control measures including enhanced cleaning will continue to be implemented on campus and in University halls
• Updated information is disseminated through bulk emails, a COVID-19 Info Hub in official HKU website and a designated webpage launched by the University Health Service for the disease
• Apart from emergency and essential services, departments will also resume provision of other services as far as possible, but could be on a reduced level if required. Heads of Departments will consider staff arrangements to maintain necessary services as appropriate and will communicate with their staff members separately
• The Task Force on Infectious Diseases (TFID) will continue to monitor and assess the situation daily
• The TFID will post updates to the University’s website, HKU App, HKU Portal and Facebook page as appropriate and send bulk emails as necessary
• All outbound exchange programmes to the Mainland will be suspended until further notice

Please follow the health advice for the workplace listed below:

1. If you experience any respiratory symptoms, you should stay home, seek medical advice and not come back to work.
2. Perform temperature checks at home before coming back to work every day.
3. Use alcoholic hand rub before entering office.
4. Keep your mask on at all times in the office apart from eating and drinking.
5. It is better to eat and drink alone and avoid eating with a large group of colleagues.
6. Take special care when entering toilets and pantries, as saliva can be infectious as respiratory droplets.

The infected staff or student must inform their Faculty Dean or Department (or Office) Head immediately upon confirmation. The Dean/Head will then immediately notify the Chairman of the TFID, who will inform and collaborate with the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP). CHP has the expertise and experience to advise on proportionate infection control measures in the event of a disease outbreak in a range of different types of locations. The University will seek and abide by advice from them as the local centre of excellence if the need arises.

The infected student or anyone who becomes aware of a confirmed case must inform his/her Master/Warden immediately. The Master/Warden will immediately notify the Dean of Student Affairs who will then notify the Chairman of the TFID. The Task Force will mobilize the necessary resources to respond to the case.

If you develop fever and respiratory symptoms, you should:

• Go to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department of the Hospital Authority promptly. The Hospital Authority will provide laboratory testing for COVID-19 if appropriate.
• Wear a surgical mask.
• Do NOT go to work/lectures/examination
• Report to your department, hall and college if you have been approached by CHP for matters related to COVID-19.

Please also see here.

If there is any chance that your health condition may be related to COVID-19, you should go to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department of the Hospital Authority directly, where rapid test for COVID-19 is available.

For enquiries about COVID-19, travel control and quarantine arrangements by the Government of Hong Kong, please call the CHP hotline 2125-1111 / 2125-1122 or browse CHP’s website (https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/index.html).

You are not advised to travel to Mainland China in view of the current development of the novel virus. However, if the trip is unavoidable, please note that travelling between Hong Kong and the Mainland is limited to control points at the HKIA, Shenzhen Bay and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge only, details can be found at https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/control-points.html.

You would also need to undergo a 14-day compulsory quarantine when you come back from the Mainland. Details can be found at: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/inbound-travel.html

Travel tips

• Avoid touching animals (including game), poultry/birds or their droppings.
• Avoid visiting wet markets, live poultry markets or farms.
• Avoid making close contact with patients, especially those with symptoms of acute respiratory infections.
• Never consume game meat and patronise food premises where game meat is served.
• Adhere to food safety and hygiene rules such as avoiding the consumption of raw or undercooked animal products, including milk, eggs and meat, or foods which may be contaminated by animal secretions, excretions (such as urine) or contaminated products, unless they have been properly cooked, washed or peeled.
• If you feel unwell when outside Hong Kong, especially if you have a fever or cough, wear a surgical mask, inform the hotel staff or tour guide and seek medical advice at once.
• After returning to Hong Kong, consult a doctor promptly if you develop a fever or other symptoms, inform the doctor of your recent travel history and wear a surgical mask to help prevent spread of the disease.

Please also see here.

Mask wearing on campus is strongly encouraged. In particular, all persons should wear a mask in classrooms, shared/common study spaces, meeting rooms, and any other venues where appropriate physical distancing cannot be maintained. It is recognized that mask wearing is not possible when eating or drinking and that in outdoor spaces, discretion may be used.

This will depend on whether the University is able to obtain the masks required for staff and students. The University is making a concerted effort to obtain masks, but there is a serious shortage of supplies in the market at this time. We hope the supply situation will improve in the coming weeks.

In light of the incident in the Tsing Yi housing estate where residents were infected by the novel coronavirus due to a suspected fault in the building’s piping system, the HKU Estates Office started checking drainage vent pipes in campus buildings and student residences on 11 February 2020 as a precautionary measure. The check was completed on 14 February 2020 and no leakage was found.