World travel alert to be issued

March 17, 2020

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:

First is about banning entries, except for Hong Kong residents. This is a very drastic step. We did implement it very early in the day on January 27 for people coming from Hubei and Wuhan. Throughout the process of this anti-epidemic work, we have to base our decisions on science, on the actual situation on the ground and other implications. And the important point is - if I can share this statistic with you - all the confirmed cases, especially those so-called imported cases, all those who have travel history during the incubation period or their close contacts, up till now they are all Hong Kong residents. So with that sort of factual situation, I think it is a bit too drastic to go into that sort of total banning because we have to understand that there are always some very genuine and compassionate cases on an exceptional basis that despite a 14-day quarantine, they need to come into Hong Kong. And Hong Kong, as I said, while we are still in the epidemic situation, we have to allow the city to continue and the businesses to resume, otherwise we may have more problems on the economic front.

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will issue the Red Outbound Travel Alert to the rest of the world except the Mainland, Macau and Taiwan as soon as today.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam made the announcement ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, noting the significant increase in imported COVID-19 cases.

“The important point is - if I can share this statistic with you - all the confirmed cases, especially those so-called imported cases, all those who have a travel history during the incubation period or their close contacts, up till now they are all Hong Kong residents.”

The past week saw an increase of 57 confirmed coronavirus cases of which 90% were either imported, involved patients with a travel history during the incubation period, or those who had close contact with people returning from abroad.

On entry restrictions for visitors to Hong Kong, Mrs Lam said the Government had acted early and implemented on January 27 an entry ban on those coming in from Hubei Province.

“Throughout the process of this anti-epidemic work, we have to base our decisions on science, on the actual situation on the ground and other implications."

The Chief Executive ruled out banning entry for all people except Hong Kong residents.

“It is a bit too drastic to go into that sort of total banning because we have to understand that there are always some very genuine and compassionate cases on an exceptional basis that despite a 14-day quarantine they need to come to Hong Kong.

“While we are still in the epidemic situation, we have to allow the city to continue, business to resume, otherwise we may have more problems on the economic front.”