3rd LD Writethru: Hong Kong ramps up epidemic-prevention measures to curb COVID-19 spread

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, March 24, 2020
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HONG KONG, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Starting from Wednesday, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will ban the entry of all non-Hong Kong residents arriving from overseas by flights and suspend all transfer services at its international airport to curb imported COVID-19 cases, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Monday.

Under the new measures announced on Monday, starting from 00:00 local time on Wednesday, Hong Kong will ban the entry of all non-Hong Kong residents arriving from overseas by flights, as well as non-Hong Kong residents who have been to overseas in the past 14 days and arriving in Hong Kong through the Chinese mainland, Macao SAR and the Taiwan region, Lam said.

All travelers entering Hong Kong through the Mainland, Macao SAR and the Taiwan region, regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents or not, will undergo 14-day compulsory quarantine, Lam added.

For those who will undergo the compulsory quarantine, the HKSAR government requires them to wear an electronic positioning wristband.

Lam urged all people under compulsory quarantine to follow the quarantine order. She noted that the police had inspected five people who left their dwellings without permission earlier, and over 30 people who broke the quarantine order in recent days.

To reduce clustered outbreaks, Lam also said the government will suggest amending the law to forbid liquor license holders from selling alcohol, involving around 8,600 bars, restaurants and clubs.

This measure aims to reduce social contacts and gathering, as consumers in the bars are exposed to high risk of infections, and some confirmed COVID-19 patients have been to bars and weddings, she said.

As for some private recreation clubs which provide playgrounds, dressing rooms and other recreation facilities, Lam appealed to them to shut down these facilities.

The HKSAR government has carried out a string of measures to contain the epidemic for the past two months. The government has kept officials working from home, shut some government-run facilities, closed schools and classes, postponed university entrance exams, cancelled large-scale events, implemented quarantine arrangements, and appealed to residents to keep social distancing.

At the beginning of March, Hong Kong reported some 150 confirmed COVID-19 cases, mostly local infections. Up to now, The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong has soared to over 350, with many imported from overseas. Last Friday, Hong Kong reported 48 new COVID-19 cases, the biggest rise for a single day in Hong Kong.

HKSAR government's secretary for food and health Sophia Chan said at a press conference on March 18 that the focus of the government's epidemic prevention and control work has shifted to preventing the virus from being imported from overseas and stopping imported cases from spreading in the community. Enditem

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