China coronavirus: Hong Kong workers told to stay at home as government and businesses try to stop virus spreading
- Hong Kong government asks civil servants to work from home, while sports facilities and museums are closed indefinitely
- Businesses extend Lunar New Year holiday and some stop any travel to mainland
On Tuesday, the government said civil servants would stay away from the office until the end of the week, although it would not apply to those who provide urgent and necessary public services. There are about 176,000 civil servants in Hong Kong.
Some government departments have closed their offices and the city’s public sports facilities, museums, and libraries, have been shut until further notice.
While Legislative Council meetings will continue on Thursday and Friday, public services at the government’s Admiralty complex will be halted and the Transport Department has suspended services such as renewing driving licences, vehicle licences, and applications for international driving permits until further notice.
Businesses have followed suit, with many extending their Lunar New Year holiday, further restricting travel to mainland China, and banning it outright to Wuhan and Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak.