Coronavirus: Hongkongers stranded aboard Diamond Princess cruise ship to be flown home on Cathay Pacific flights, as city confirms three new cases
- But for some 2,000 Hongkongers locked down in mainland China’s Hubei province – the epicentre of the outbreak – there remains no sign of escape
- Beijing’s top man in Hong Kong, Luo Huining, visits mainland companies to inspect stock as panic buying continues to clear city’s supermarket shelves
Two Cathay Pacific flights will fly 350 Hongkongers stranded aboard the Diamond Princess cruise liner back to the city on Thursday, it was announced, as authorities sent senior officials to Japan to oversee the evacuation.
But, as the marooned residents looked set to end their ordeals, for some 2,000 Hongkongers locked down in mainland China’s Hubei province – the epicentre of the outbreak – there was on Monday still no sign of any such reprieve.
As officials began preparations for the return on Thursday of the residents, who will still face a 14-day quarantine when they get back, Hong Kong recorded another three confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus, taking the total to 60, and Beijing’s top man in the city, Luo Huining, visited mainland companies to inspect their stock as panic buying continued to clear supermarket shelves.
Confirming an earlier Post report, Director of Immigration Erick Tsang Kwok-wai and undersecretary for security Sonny Au Chi-kwong led a team of about 30 to Tokyo on Monday evening to finalise arrangements with their Japanese counterparts.
A second team would fly to Japan on Tuesday, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said.
“We care for and are concerned about the well-being of Hong Kong residents on the Diamond Princess cruise. We are serious about the operation to evacuate them,” Lee said at Hong Kong International Airport.