Arrivals in Hong Kong to be subject to 14-day quarantine

HONG KONG: Hong Kong will quarantine arrivals in the city for 14 days starting midnight on Thursday (Mar 19) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Asian financial hub’s leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday.

Those arriving in Hong Kong will be put under home quarantine, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

The new restrictions will not apply to arrivals from mainland China, Macau or Taiwan, reported SCMP.

Since Feb 8, anyone arriving in the city from mainland China, except Hubei province, would face a mandatory two-week quarantine as part of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

Residents from Hubei province have been barred from entering Hong Kong since January.

The government also advised its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel.

Four of the 157 confirmed coronavirus patients in Hong Kong have died. The majority of the recent cases have been imported.

This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates.

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