新 聞 稿
香港醫學會的緊急呼籲
香港醫學會極度關注在日本「鑚石公主號」郵輪上接受檢疫香港居民的安全。郵輪在檢疫超過十天後仍錄到大量新增確診新型冠狀病毒肺炎個案正顯示該處有持續大型傳播。現時在空間有限的船上的病毒感染率是武漢這最受影響的城市的數十倍，由空氣傳播的結核病是中央空調船倉的已知風險，因此不能排除空氣傳播引致這次在「鑚石公主號」上的大型疫症爆發。香港醫學會促請政府應儘快與日本當局商討立刻將郵輪上330名香港居民安全撤離到岸上，並安排以包機安全接回香港。
「鑚石公主號」上大部份新型冠狀病毒肺炎確診者均無出現病徵或只有輕微不明確症狀。現時在本港的本地傳播個案已遠超輸入個案；隱形患者亦多次被認為是可能的傳染源。在這關鍵時刻，香港醫學會特別呼籲市民，不論是否有染病徵狀，務必要在公衆交通工具或人多聚集的地方佩帶口罩，以減低病毒傳播風險。
二零二零年二月十六日
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16 February 2020
Immediate Evacuation of Hong Kong Passengers From Diamond Princess
The Hong Kong Medical Association would like to express our grave concern over the safety of Hong Kong passengers on board Diamond Princess under quarantine in Japan. The continuing detection of large number of COVID-19 cases more than 10 days after quarantine suggests ongoing and widespread transmission in the cruise ship. The disease rate within the limited space of the ship is now many folds of that in the worst affected city of Wuhan. Airborne transmission of tuberculosis is a well known hazard in the centrally ventilated ship cabins, and such mode of transmission cannot be excluded for the current massive outbreak of COVID-19 on the Diamond Princess. We therefore urge our government to discuss with the Japanese government for immediate evacuation of the 330 Hong Kong passengers from the ship onto land for safe transfer by chartered flight back to Hong Kong.
The vast majority of detected COVID-19 cases on the Diamond Princess are either asymptomatic or just having mild non-specific symptoms. In Hong Kong, locally transmitted COVID-19 cases now far exceed imported cases, and silent infectious sources have been repeatedly implicated in these transmissions. We therefore recommend everyone, irrespective of symptoms, to put on a mask to decrease transmission risk in public transport or crowded public places during this critical period.
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編輯備忘：
香港醫學會成立於一九二零年，旨在聯繫政府、各公立醫療機構、大學及私人執業的醫務工作者，交流意見，團結一心。醫學會致力將最新的醫療資訊及醫務發展傳遞與會員，提倡會員遵行專業操守，進而服務社會，維護民康。
Notes to editors:
The Hong Kong Medical Association, founded in 1920, aims to bring together Hong Kong's government, institutional, university and private medical practitioners for an effective exchange of views and co-ordination of efforts. The foremost objective of the Association is to safeguard and promote public health. The Association speaks collectively for its members and aims to keep its members abreast of medical ethics, issues and advances around the world. In fulfilling these goals, the association hopes to better serve the people of Hong Kong.