HONG KONG (Reuters) – Health officials have reported that Hong Kong authorities are looking for a positive patient on COVID-19 who escaped from one of the city’s largest hospitals while undergoing treatment.
The 63-year-old, identified as 7379 patient, was admitted to the isolation room of Queen Elizabeth Hospital on December 14 after it was confirmed he had COVID-19.
However, the man escaped into the hospital ward on Friday and could not be recovered. A hospital statement reported that the patient escaped with a jacket over hospital clothing.
“The staff saw that the man was making his way to flee to the ward … the staff chased him, but the efforts were in vain,” a hospital spokesman said.
It is the first known case of a hospital escape from a COVID-19 patient.
Hong Kong has registered 7970 COVID-19 cases, according to a government website.
Two patients, aged 84 and 85, have died in the past two days, a hospital authority statement said on Friday.
Scott Murdoch reports in Hong Kong; Edited by Shri Navaratnam