Coronavirus: third chartered flight to bring Hong Kong cruise ship passengers from Japan as number of infected rises to 68
- Those known to have been in close contact with the infected have been offered free accommodation at facilities including a college campus for quarantine
- Residents arriving early Saturday morning sent to 14-day quarantine at a housing estate in Sha Tin
A third chartered flight was expected to leave Tokyo at 1.45am on Sunday, bringing dozens of Hongkongers trapped on the Diamond Princess cruise ship home, as the number of confirmed infections among residents on the vessel rose from 66 to 68.
But Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said on Saturday the chartered flight would not be carrying anyone who had been in close contact with infected patients.
“We are appealing to all Hong Kong residents who are still in Japan to take our chartered flight,” Lee said. “We do not expect the third chartered flight will take back as many passengers as the first and second flights, but it is our aim to bring back any who are allowed to leave and not a close contact.”
Lee said the government had learned that the Japanese government would move all passengers who required quarantine to facilities on land.
“We will be monitoring this and liaising with Japanese authorities so we know where Hong Kong people will be sent to,” he said, noting that there were 32 Hongkongers on board known to have had close contact with the infected.