Staff members work at a triage center for COVID-19 patients that has been set up at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. [Photo by Calvin Ng/China Daily]

HONG KONG - With the support of the central government, the community treatment facility expansion at Hong Kong's AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE), which will provide nearly 1,000 more beds, was successfully completed, said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Oct 9.

A ceremony was held on Friday during which the facility was officially handed over to Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, according to a press release issued by the HKSAR government.

Secretary for Development of the HKSAR government Michael Wong expressed gratitude to the central government, the Guangdong provincial government and the Shenzhen municipal government for implementing the project.

Wong said that relevant construction works commenced on Sept 19 and were swiftly completed within three weeks, providing an addition of nearly 1,000 beds in Halls 8 to 11 of AWE, with some equipped with negative pressure facilities.

Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority Tony Ko said that 900 beds of the community treatment facility were installed at Halls 1 and 2 of AWE earlier.

Coupled with the newly completed expansion project in Halls 8 to 11, Hong Kong's ability to cope with another potential wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in the future will be greatly enhanced, reducing the pressure on public hospitals.

At the temporary hospital project adjacent to AWE, also supported by the central government, relevant construction works also commenced on Sept 19 and are expected to be completed within four months.

Upon completion, the temporary hospital will provide negative pressure wards that can accommodate over 800 beds and associated medical facilities.