The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) today (July 18) learned that a Customs Officer has preliminarily tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The officer works on 23/F of the Customs Headquarters Building in North Point. The floor is not a public floor and is not open to the public.
The officer is responsible for logistic duties. He last performed his duties this Thursday (July 16) and felt unwell yesterday (July 17) morning. After seeking medical treatment at a private clinic, he was notified last night to have preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19. Isolation treatment in hospital is being arranged for the officer.
The officer has no recent travel history. He has been wearing surgical masks when performing duties and has properly maintained social distancing with people he has had contact with. His body temperature was normal when undergoing temperature screening during work.
The department has been closely co-operating with the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on the CHP's epidemiological investigations. The colleagues working with the officer are asymptomatic. Customs has liaised with the CHP for arranging those officers to undergo COVID-19 testing. The concerned floor has also been arranged to undergo a thorough cleaning and sterilisation.
C&ED is highly concerned about the epidemic of COVID-19 and has remained highly vigilant since the epidemic broke out. Relevant hygienic measures for infectious diseases provided by the CHP have been strictly adopted. All officers have their body temperatures checked before performing their duties. They are also required to wear proper personal protective equipment.
The department has stepped up the cleaning and sterilising measures for all working locations and will remind all officers to strictly comply with the hygienic measures of infectious diseases provided by the CHP. The officers will also be reminded to consult a doctor promptly if they have any discomforting symptoms.
Ends/Saturday, July 18, 2020