The executive committee of the alumni association, which has about 8,100 members, will witness its first contested election since it was established in 1950. Eleven candidates will contest the six seats in the committee that are up for grabs.

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Julia Ip Man-chung, an alumnus, said she expected the meeting to draw hundreds of alumni as there would be an unprecedented contested election.

“We don’t understand why the executive committee insists on holding the event as scheduled amid the public health crisis,” she said. “It will put the health of those attending the event at risk.”

“We have no idea if the executive committee has sought advice from medical professionals regarding the risks associated with holding such a mass gathering, and what measures will be taken to ensure the health of those attending the meeting,” Ip said.

In an email to its members on March 5, the association said “in view of the current health situation, please be reminded that the members have the option of voting by proxy”.

Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, an infectious diseases specialist in the private sector, advised against holding such a large-scale gathering amid the pandemic.

“If there are really strong reasons to hold the meeting as scheduled, the organisers must take appropriate measures to minimise the health risks,” he said.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced on Saturday a raft of containment measures and appealed to all residents to reduce unnecessary outings and meal gatherings, saying the city was facing a “critical moment” over the next two weeks.

The city recorded 273 confirmed cases as of Sunday morning, with four deaths.

According to the health advice issued by the Hong Kong government, members of the public are advised strongly to stay away from crowded places and avoid social gatherings.

Under the Companies Ordinance, a company limited by guarantee is required to hold its annual general meeting within nine months after the end of its accounting reference period.

For the alumni association which is registered as a company limited by guarantee, the current accounting reference period ended on June 30 last year. It means the association has to hold its annual general meeting by the end of this month.

A company limited by guarantee is an entity often used as a device for setting up of a club, association, or charitable body.

On February 20, Ip and four alumni, who are running in the election of the executive committee, wrote to the association chairman Andrew Luk Wing-kee requesting the executive committee to seek a court order to postpone the annual general meeting beyond the end of this month.

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In his reply on March 4, Luk said that after “due consideration”, the committee had decided not to apply to the court to postpone the meeting.

“Although Hong Kong courts will resume operations in a limited capacity this month, it is by no means a certainty the court will hear such an application in time or accept our application,” Luk wrote.

“It is not the best use of the limited resources of the association as legal costs are expensive,” he wrote.

“Individual members who are unable or do not prefer to attend the meeting in person can duly vote by proxy,” Luk wrote.

Luk did not respond to the Post’s inquiry, which was sent to the alumni association.

Jasen Leung Kin-fung, who graduated from the college in 2017, said the alumni association should postpone the meeting to minimise the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

“From the public health perspective, the risks arising from such a large-scale gathering are quite high,” Leung, a third-year student with Chinese University’s school of public health, said.

The US government on Monday recommended all Americans to avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people, while the Austrian government has banned gatherings of more than five people.

Australia has banned “non-essential” gatherings of more than 100 people in response to the pandemic.

The Hong Kong Neurosurgical Society held its annual general meeting on Friday using video conference in the view of the coronavirus outbreak.

Tsang said if the meeting had to be held as scheduled under the requirement of the Companies Ordinance, the association should adopt appropriate measures to ensure the health of those attending.

“The association should install infrared devices at the entrance of the venue to check the body temperatures of those attending the meeting. It should also adopt policies to maintain social distancing among the attendants,” Tsang said.

He said the association should also make arrangements so its alumni can cast their ballots in various groups in different periods of time to minimise the scope of getting infected.

St Paul’s Co-Educational College, formerly a subsidised school in Mid-Levels, switched to the direct subsidy scheme in 2002, together with its two linked primary schools.

Schools operating under this scheme enjoy greater autonomy over fully-aided schools, including the discretion to charge tuition fees while receiving government subsidies linked to student numbers.