FAQs about Infection Control

• Staff and students who have been to areas known to be affected by COVID-19 are reminded to observe the necessary personal and environmental hygiene precautions and responses. Students are advised to fill in a Self-Reporting Questionnaire (portal login required) for reporting.
• 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 campus or class.
2. Perform temperature checks at home before coming back to campus every day.
3. Use alcoholic hand rub before entering an office / a classroom.
4. Keep your mask on at all times apart from eating and drinking.
5. It is better to eat and drink alone and avoid eating with a large group of colleagues or fellow students.
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. Furthermore, the Dean/Head will send a bulk email to all staff and students on the infected case which should include a brief description of the case, and ask anyone who has concern to undergo testing and anyone with symptoms to seek medical attention. The student with confirmed diagnosis should fill in the self-reporting questionnaire.

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.

Students are advised to fill in a Self-Reporting Questionnaire (portal login required) for reporting.

If you develop fever, respiratory symptoms, sudden loss of taste or smell or even very mild symptoms, you should:

• Seek medical advice promptly or go to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department of the Hospital Authority if required.
• Get early testing and detection of COVID-19. Please refer to this website for details.
• 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. Students may also use Self-Reporting Questionnaire (portal login required) for reporting.

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 test for COVID-19 is available. You may also obtain COVID-19 testing at various service providers. For details, please visit this website.

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).

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.

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.