(To watch the video with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Government today explained its new 14-day quarantine arrangement to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Starting February 8, the Department of Health will issue quarantine orders to all people entering Hong Kong from the Mainland, including Hong Kong residents, Mainland residents and visitors from other places. 

People meeting this criteria shall stay at home or other accommodation for a 14-day compulsory quarantine.

The policy includes people who have been to the Mainland in the past 14 days before arriving in Hong Kong, even if they entered the city via other places.

This applies to those who have not developed any symptoms and passed temperature checks upon entry.

Those showing symptoms will be referred to the department for further handling.

Travellers without a valid visa for a 14-day period will be denied entry.

For non-Hong Kong residents who have arranged to stay at hotels or other dwellings, they will conduct quarantine at the concerned hotels or dwellings.

If those under compulsory quarantine cannot arrange accommodation, the Government will provide temporary quarantine accommodation.

At this afternoon’s press conference, Secretary for Food & Health Sophia Chan said the goal of the policy is to safeguard the public.

“The objective of this mandatory home quarantine, with the legal backing, is to reduce the cross-boundary flow of people as well as to reduce the transmissibility of the virus within the community.

“The mandatory quarantine for 14 days, as the Chief Secretary alluded to earlier, there are a number of checks and medical surveillance, looking into the condition of quarantine at home.

“But the whole idea is for this person to stay at home and not go out, so that in case they are carrying any virus, it would not be transmitted to the rest of the community. So that’s the whole idea.”

Prof Chan further explained that those under quarantine will be monitored by the Department of Health.

“Other than all of these initial explanation packs, health education and telephone calls provided to the client, there will be spot checks, random checks to see whether this person is at home.

“Of course the condition of this person - whether for example they are running a temperature or they have any clinical signs and symptoms of not feeling well - would be checked and also for them to record themselves. There will be periodic checks by the Department of Health colleagues to monitor the situation.”

Prof Chan appealed to those placed in confinement to exercise self-discipline, stressing it will take a concerted effort to combat the virus.

“Of course, self-discipline is the most important because the whole idea is not to hold the person at home and have a lot of guards outside and so on.

“So it is not this. Self-discipline and then having everyone in Hong Kong fighting together for this infectious disease is the most important.”