Take action now to deter travel to and from high-risk virus zones
- With the outbreak spreading in South Korea and Japan, an official travel advisory is called for but more than that, common sense should prevail
Avoiding travel to high-risk places amid a global health crisis is just common sense. Likewise, there is a need for more stringent measures on those coming from infected areas.
As the outbreaks of the novel coronavirus in South Korea and Japan widen further, the need for travel advisories and quarantine measures is obvious.
The red travel alert and health control measures targeting South Korea are right responses. The situation in the country is particularly worrying, with the infection numbers shooting up to at least 833 after new cases were reported yesterday, making it the world’s largest epidemic zone outside China.
Separately, the Japanese government has also come under fire as the fallout from the Diamond Princess cruise ship fiasco deepens, with more reports of infections and deaths following the much-criticised health control measures.
It does not take a medical expert to explain the risks of visiting epidemic zones. The Hong Kong government’s appeal to avoid cross-border travel and the quarantine measures for arrivals from the mainland underline the severity of the matter.
Rationality does not always prevail, though. Be it just the travel bug or actual needs, South Korea and Japan continue to have an appeal to many Hongkongers despite the health crisis.