'Three of four sick officers cleared of the virus'

Police say three of four officers feared to be infected with the new coronavirus have tested negative for Covid-19. Photo: AP

Police said late on Friday night that three out of four officers feared to have contracted the new coronavirus have tested negative for Covid-19, while results are pending for a fourth.



The four officers had come down with various symptoms consistent with the new coronavirus a day after tests on a riot officer from the North Point police station came back positive for Covid-19.



In a statement, police also said a female officer rumoured to also have been infected has tested negative, even though she had indeed fallen ill and had sought treatment at Ruttonjee Hospital on Friday morning.



The force also said as of 10pm on Friday, 11 out of 59 people who had close contacts with the infected officer have already been contacted, and arrangements are being made to quarantine them at the Heritage Lodge in Mei Foo.



A spokesman said cleansing and disinfection measures have been taken at all facilities that were potentially contaminated, and additional precautions have been taken at the North Point and Chai Wan stations, such as mandatory temperature checks for all officers, and requiring them to wear face masks.



Officers from the same unit as the infected policeman have been taken off the front lines for now.



The statement added that the force has ‘reminded’ all officers to reduce social contact to minimise the risk of infection.



On Tuesday, the man who subsequently tested positive for the virus was among 60 officers who had attended a banquet for a retiring colleague.



A spokeswoman for the Centre for Health Protection, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, had said earlier on Friday that like the rest of the public, the police should avoid social gatherings to help stop the spread of the deadly virus.



"We advise everyone... not to go to work if you are sick, especially if your job nature is to face the public."