People take photos on the Star Ferry in Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong on March 17, 2021. (PETER PARKS / AFP)
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong government on Tuesday warned a testing service provider after mistakes were made that led to negative COVID -19 test results being sent to a wrong mobile number or not being sent at all.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the government said it issued a warning letter to service provider BGI after the incident, which involved 14 deep throat saliva specimens submitted to the Department of Health's Yuen Chau Kok Chest Clinic on May 6. The mistakes were made during data input and uploading. No positive cases were involved.
The government said it issued a warning letter to service provider BGI after the incident, which involved 14 deep throat saliva specimens submitted to the Department of Health's Yuen Chau Kok Chest Clinic on May 6
“The testing service provider concerned, BGI, has reviewed the test results and rectified the registration information. Affected persons will receive SMS messages containing the results of earlier testing re-sent by the system,” the government statement reads.
“The incident has no relationship with the accuracy or validity of the testing. The Food and Health Bureau extended apologies to those affected for any inconvenience caused,” it added.
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The government said it instructed the service provider to seriously investigate the incident. Mobile sampling station services provided by BGI were suspended earlier after it gave 28 false-positive results on April 20.
“The government will continue to suspend assigning BGI to provide service to any mobile specimen collection stations,” the statement reads.
The government added that it will take into account the overall performance of service providers, including their performance in information management, when awarding testing services contracts in the future to avoid similar incidents.
Also on Tuesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor apologized to some residents who complained about their experience while under quarantine after a COVID-19 variant was detected in their building.
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Speaking before her weekly Executive Council meeting, Lam emphasized that the government has resolved the situation and is reviewing the complaints to improve quarantine arrangements.
“I have already expressed my apology to affected residents during this very stringent measure of putting everyone in the same block where there was a confirmed case of the COVID-19 variant of concern under this 21-day quarantine. But we have also rectified the situation,” Lam said.
“During their stay in the quarantine center, I understand that the conditions were not the best that we would like to see – the service may be a bit substandard, particularly over this alleged food poisoning case. So we will review all these complaints and grievances with a view to improving the arrangements,” she added.