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Hong Kong is rolling out an extensive list of epidemic prevention measures, some of which have been posted on Hong Kong's Health News Website, and others that were announced in a press conference held by CE Carrie Lam earlier today.
An overview of the travel restrictions, announced at today's press conference, can be found at the SCMP report:
China coronavirus: Hong Kong government to drastically cut cross-border travel with mainland by closing railways, reducing bus services, slashing flights by half
Additional measures include a work-from-home order for many government employees:
Government employees work from home tomorrow
January 28, 2020
The government announced that starting tomorrow, except for those who provide emergency and essential public services, government employees will not need to return to the office after the Lunar New Year holiday and will instead stay at home to minimize the risk of the epidemic spreading in the community.
The arrangement is tentatively implemented until February 2, and the government will review the situation at that time. Individual government departments will publish the affected public services.
The government calls on the private sector to make similar arrangements where feasible.
With schools closed, and many public and possibly private sector employees not reporting for work, the concern is always that people will congregate in public places and spread the virus, thus negating the effects of these measures.
In a bid to prevent that, Hong Kong officials are shutting down most public venues, as outlined in the following announcement.
While Hong Kong has yet to report community transmission of the virus, it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with 7.4 million people crammed into 427 square miles (1,110 square kilometers). While that works out to just over 6,600 people per sq. km., the population is far from evenly dispersed.
In a bid to prevent that, Hong Kong officials are shutting down most public venues, as outlined in the following announcement.
Strengthening Epidemic Prevention
January 28, 2020
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Environmental Protection Department, Antiquities and Monuments Office, Planning Department, Transport Department, etc. will suspend the opening of many facilities from tomorrow until further notice to complement the government's "preparation and response to new infectious diseases important to public health" Plan to raise emergency levels to emergency and avoid citizens gathering.
The LCSD will suspend the opening of a number of cultural and recreational facilities and cancel recreational, sports and cultural activities at the venues.
Refunds and refund arrangements will be announced later.
Suspended land and water sports facilities include all stadiums, sports fields, grass courts, artificial grass football pitches, tennis courts, squash courts, bowling greens, golf facilities, public swimming pools, beaches, Tuen Mun Recreation and Sports Centre, water sports Center, holiday camp.
All museums, performance venues, public libraries and attached study rooms, mobile libraries, and music centers of the Music Office will also be closed.(Continue . . .)
While Hong Kong has yet to report community transmission of the virus, it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with 7.4 million people crammed into 427 square miles (1,110 square kilometers). While that works out to just over 6,600 people per sq. km., the population is far from evenly dispersed.
In 2014, Hong Kong's government estimated that Kwun Tong, with 57,250 persons per sq. km., was the most densely populated district in the territory.All of which makes for a target rich environment for a novel respiratory virus like nCoV2019.
