‘Don’t repeat the mistakes of Sars’, survivors’ group urges Hong Kong government as it wrestles with China coronavirus outbreak

The Hong Kong Sars Mutual Help Association, a group formed by more than 300 survivors infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003, urged the government to be proactive, including banning non-locals who have visited Wuhan within the past month from entering the city, or even denying entry to all mainland Chinese visitors if the outbreak worsens.

The association made the call as the contagious new coronavirus – a Sars-like virus – spread on the mainland from Wuhan, the outbreak epicentre. Hong Kong had recorded five confirmed cases by late Friday, and 236 other suspected cases as of 8am.

The city’s fight against the coronavirus has been an emotional reminder for many Sars survivors, who hoped the government would not repeat the missteps of 2003, said the group’s chairman Alex Lam Chi-yau.

“I am very disappointed with the government’s preventive approach. Some recent decisions only show it has taken the new virus lightly, particularly when it came to not asking rail passengers arriving from Wuhan to fill out health declaration forms with contact details,” he said.

“The Sars outbreak is a painful memory to us. The government shouldn’t forget it. Now it seems to be taking the interests of travellers above those of Hong Kong people.”