(To watch the whole media briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said there is little possibility that classes can resume on April 20.

Mrs Lam made the statement ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning.

She said: “Class resumption is a very tricky matter because we are talking about 900,000 students, especially those in primary schools and kindergartens."

Mrs Lam explained that experts have advised her not to expect to be able to resume all schools in the next month or so due to the global situation and because the virus can be carried by those who are asymptomatic.

“So I’m saying that even if the situation stabilises to the extent that we could resume, it will be by phases.

“We’ll be starting with the older students in the senior secondary and so the chance for the very young kids to go back to school, say within the next one to two months, will be quite slim."

The Chief Executive also pointed out that the Government is preparing the supply of children’s masks.

“I am still gearing up the production and supply of children’s masks, so that when the day comes, we will not be facing another problem that we could not resume because we don’t have the mask supply for the kids to wear.”