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| Jason Cacayorin, Rochelle Borja and their daughter about to leave Penny's Bay |
How is it like to stay in a Hong Kong quarantine centre after being classified as a close contact of a person who tested positive for Covid-19?
Those who are taken to
the government-run centers are made to stay there for 14 days while being
checked and tested to make sure they are not themselves infected, and will unknowingly
spread the coronavirus in the community.
For the first time, the
Hong Kong government has given the public a peek into the Penny’s Bay
Quarantine Centre in Lantau, the biggest of its isolation centers for close
contacts of confirmed Covid-19 patients.
The video shared on the
government’s website, along with an accompanying article, show the inside of
the rooms in the center, and how those quarantined are looked after, including
how much food and provisions are provided them during their two-week stay
The video also feature
interviews with those who had stayed at the center, including a Filipino family
of three.
The government released
the video in the wake of allegations that it has been taking a high-handed
approach in dealing with people about to be quarantined, especially those with young
children.
Apart from Penny’s Bay
the government also uses as quarantine centers the Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday
Village, Silka Hotel Tsuen Wan at Dorsett Hotel Kwun Tong.
Here is the link to the
video and the accompanying story:
https://www.news.gov.hk/eng/2021/03/20210325/20210325_155344_046.html?type=feature
The transcript of the accompanying story:
SERVING CONFINEES HEART AND SOUL
Claire Frost and her two sons were glad to be outdoors
again after staying at Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre for 14 days.
They were close contacts of a COVID-19 patient
involved in the URSUS Fitness cluster.
Mrs Frost said government staff tended to her family’s
needs during their stay at the facility.
“I think the Government did a good job.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
“All the basic necessities were catered for - the
three meals a day. If we needed extra toiletries we just rang them and they
turned up quickly and all that, there was fruit provided. So it was perfectly
sufficient.”
Rochelle Borja and Jayson Cacayorin, who stayed at the
centre with their daughter, also checked out on the same day. They praised
their accommodation.
Ms Borja said: “I don't know about the other rooms,
but our room was very nice and very safe. They gave us fruits, and for the kid,
they brought her LEGO toy for her to play.”
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| PRESS FOR DETAILS |
“We are happy because we had accommodation like this.
If it is in other countries, I think it is not like this,” Mr Cacayorin added.
Eye for detail
The quarantine centre located on Lantau Island has
3,500 units. It is managed by the Civil Aid Service, and the Department of
Health is responsible for the facility’s medical services.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Daily necessities such as beds, meals and private
toilets are provided to those quarantined.
Confinees can even message a WhatsApp hotline to
request items ranging from phone charging cables to mini fridges, and even lip
balm.
Civil Aid Service Senior Operations & Training
Officer Queenie Yung explained the most popular items that have been requested
are cup noodles, snacks and drinks.
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“If there are over 1,000 confinees in the quarantine
centre, maybe there will be 700 calls received every day,” she said.
To make the quarantine experience more family-friendly, she pointed out that those who are under quarantine can request baby cribs, milk powder and bottle sterilisers, along with toys and coloured pencils.
She added that the furniture in barrier-free access
rooms, such as tables and beds, have rounded edges.
The Government will also ensure that bigger families
can be quarantined together.
“If there’s a family, then the family members will be
put into the same quarantine facility,” Centre for Health Protection Quarantine
Centre Task Force Commander Chan Kwok-kee said.
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“Depending on the family size, we have some facilities
at the quarantine centre at Lei Yue Mun Park & Holiday Village that can
accommodate up to eight people. Even with big families, we can allocate
facilities to them.”
Peace of mind
Apart from physical needs, the Government is also
fully aware that people who have been removed from the comfort of their own
homes and placed in quarantine will most likely be anxious.
Department of Health Senior Medical & Health
Officer Dr Kong Che-wan said many of the confinees do not have a clear idea of
what will happen once they enter the facility.
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| Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love |
“They have tremendous concerns about their health status,
in particular related to COVID-19.
“So for most of the patients of the cases, we would
like to see them and talk to them. We would introduce them to the surveillance
programme to make sure they know what is exactly happening, the collection of
the deep throat saliva specimen - how we do that, when we would do that - and
then we will let them know the result later on in order to be able to reassure
them about their health status.”
Dr Kong said the department’s staff stationed at
Penny’s Bay will call those under quarantine daily to monitor their health.
A team of nurses, nutritionists, physiotherapists and
optometrists also stand ready to answer their enquiries.
“They always checked our body temperature to ensure we
were in good health and also they always called us to ask if we felt something,
some symptoms. They always asked us for updates,” said Ms Borja.
Mr Cacayorin added: “We stayed here for 14 days but we didn’t see any problems and we didn’t feel nervous.
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