Hong Kong Declares ‘Virus Emergency,’ Two Week School Closure Over Coronavirus
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam also announced Saturday that a Feb. 9 marathon expected to draw 70,000 participants was cancelled.
CNSPhoto via Reuters
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has declared an emergency on Saturday over the coronavirus outbreak, closing primary and secondary schools for two weeks after the Lunar New Year holiday school break. She also cancelled a marathon scheduled for Feb. 9 that had 70,000 registered participants. Lam announced on Saturday that trains and flights from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, would be physically blocked from entering the city.
Hong Kong has confirmed five cases of the illness. China’s National Health Commission reported Saturday that the number of infected people had risen to 1,287 with 41 confirmed deaths—all in China. Australia, Malaysia and Singapore also announced confirmation of first cases on Saturday. France announced that three people were infected with the virus, marking the first cases in Europe. The U.S. has confirmed two cases so far.
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