Hospital Authority Updates Visiting Protocols for End-of-Life COVID-19 Patients

The compassionate visiting arrangements for critical or end-of-life COVID-19 patients in public hospitals and requirements for visitors will be updated, according to the Hospital Authority on April 12.

Those visiting end-of-life COVID-19 patients must provide a negative rapid antigen test result received 24 hours before their visit. If one cannot arrange a test, the antigen test must be done immediately after the visit and the result provided afterwards.

"The HA understands the needs of family members to visit critical or end-of-life COVID-19 patients," an HA spokesperson said in a press release. "After reviewing the infection control arrangements by an expert panel, the HA decided to update the protocol concerned."

Visitors are also required to study the information sheet on compassionate visiting arrangements and to strictly follow the safety control measures in the hospital. These include practicing hand hygiene, wearing personal protective equipment before visiting, and conducting a seven-day health monitoring after the visit. Visitors must also comply with scanning the "LeaveHomeSafe" QR code before going inside public hospitals.

Visitors of non-COVID-19 patients must comply with the testing and vaccination requirements.

The HA added that visitors who have recovered from COVID-19 within three months shall be exempted from testing and vaccination requirements but must provide proof of infection and recovery to health care workers.