Coronavirus: Hong Kong will close borders to visitors and plans to ban sale of alcohol at bars in bid to stop spread of infections
- City reports another alarming surge on Monday – 39 more patients confirmed as having Covid-19, most of them with a recent travel history
- City’s leader warns of a ‘critical situation’ and appeals for vigilance and compliance with home-quarantine orders
Hong Kong will close its borders to all non-residents and plans to ban the sale of alcohol at thousands of bars and restaurants in a drastic effort to stop an alarming surge of coronavirus infections, both imported and spread locally.
The city reported another surge on Monday – 39 more patients confirmed as having Covid-19, most of them with a recent travel history and one a doctor tasked with issuing quarantine orders to visitors at the airport.
With the total number of cases at 356, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor warned of a “critical situation” and became emotional at a press conference as she appealed for public vigilance and compliance with home quarantine orders.
“Frontline medics and personnel have been tirelessly fighting for two months. If a small number of people violate their home quarantine to play ball or dine out, how can they let these colleagues down?” Lam said.
“For those planning on going out or attending gatherings, can you reconsider and control yourself, so Hong Kong can win this fight?”
Since February, three people who came to Hong Kong from mainland China have been prosecuted for breaking quarantine orders.
