Isolation Arrangements Involving Covid-Positive Children Returning To Hong Kong.

30 November 2021
 

Background

With an increasing number of parents traveling overseas to bring children back to Hong Kong for Christmas, questions have arisen regarding what happens if a child (or adult) tests positive upon their return and whether the family will be split up.

Current Position

Under current government guidelines and based on enquiries with the Centre for Health Protection, the following procedure will be adopted if a child tests positive upon returning to Hong Kong:

1. The parent will be considered a close contact of the confirmed case. This would trigger the following quarantine mechanisms:
 

• The parent and child/children will be sent to quarantine at the designated quarantine center (QC). Current QC is the North Lantau QC;

• Each person will be separated and asked to isolate;

• Each person will be given a Quarantine Order Card, which will have relevant details relating to their quarantine, including the details to contact the Department Officer (DO);

• In cases where a parent wishes to quarantine and isolate together with their child/children, they will have to make a request directly to the DO. It is at the sole discretion of the DO to grant permission to the parent to isolate together with their child/children.
   

2. The QCs are fitted with hospitals and medical staff. A Covid-positive patient will not be taken to a hospital that is not part of the QC, unless they need urgent medical attention.

3. It is not possible to write and seek prior permission from the DO (i.e., before arrival and subsequent positive confirmation of Covid) to isolate with any other person, including children. All such cases are decided on a case-to-case basis at the discretion of the DO.

4. In the past, the Department has granted permission for parents to isolate with children who were considered to be close contacts of confirmed cases (e.g., Discovery Bay and Kellett School incidents). However, these were cases where the child/children did not test positive, and the parents/guardians were in Hong Kong already (i.e., had not travelled outside Hong Kong for 14 days).

Key Takeaways

Both individuals who test positive and their close contacts must isolate at the North Lantau Facility upon returning to Hong Kong. However, the positive case(s) (whether adult or child) will be separated from the close contact family members. It is possible to apply to be ‘housed’ together but this would be decided on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the DO. For the time being, there are no clear guidelines or criteria (such as age etc) for the application and approval process, which can only be done on arrival in Hong Kong.