Hong Kong’s authorities stated on Sunday it’ll ban residents of China’s Hubei province, the place the brand new coronavirus outbreak was first reported, or individuals who have visited Hubei prior to now 14 days from getting into town from Monday.
The rule doesn’t apply to Hong Kong residents, it added in an announcement, with out giving an finish date to the ban.
The announcement got here as a gaggle of protesters set alight the foyer of a newly-built residential constructing in Hong Kong that authorities deliberate to make use of as a quarantine facility.
The Hong Kong authorities has since determined to not transfer ahead with plans to make use of residential buildings for quarantining individuals who have contracted the brand new coronavirus.
On Sunday, a Reuters witness noticed a number of masked protesters, clad in black, rush into the general public housing block in Hong Kong’s Fanling district close to to the border with China, and set alight a Molotov cocktail earlier than working out. Black smoke may very well be seen pouring out of the constructing to the sound of fireplace alarms. Home windows had been smashed.
Earlier within the afternoon, a whole lot of normal Hong Kong residents had blocked roads resulting in the constructing with bricks and different particles, as anger grew in direction of authorities plans to transform the constructing right into a quarantine zone because the variety of confirmed instances within the metropolis climbed to 6 on Sunday.
“We’re dissatisfied with the federal government choosing this housing property as a (quarantine) separation village as it’s extremely near a residential space and a major college,” stated a 28-year-old resident surnamed Tsang.
Public calls have additionally grown for the Hong Kong authorities to dam the monetary hub’s border with mainland China to additional minimise the chance of an infection.
Earlier on Sunday, Hong Kong authorities stated they’d convert “Fai Ming Property, an unoccupied public property in Fanling, into non permanent flats for quarantine and statement of shut contact individuals with out signs if wanted.”
Well being authorities within the afternoon stated 107 individuals had been now below quarantine, and there have been 77 suspected instances.
The flexibility of the brand new coronavirus to unfold is strengthening and infections might proceed to rise, China’s Nationwide Well being Fee stated on Sunday, with almost 2,000 individuals in China contaminated and 56 killed by the illness.
A handful of instances have been reported exterior China, together with in Thailand, Australia, the US and France, with well being authorities around the globe racing to forestall a pandemic.
Up to date: January 27, 2020 01:50 PM