The Government said today that a man from Wuhan has a preliminary positive test result for the novel coronavirus infection.

The Government immediately initiated a chain of control measures before waiting for confirmatory test results.

Speaking to media this evening, Director of Health Dr Constance Chan said the case involves a 39 year-old man.

He travelled from Wuhan to Shenzhen North via the high speed rail, and then changed to another carriage from Shenzhen North to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station yesterday.

“At the time he was detected by our Port Health Office to have fever at the West Kowloon Station, he was immediately attended to by our Port Health Office colleagues and then referred to hospital.

“So all precautionary measures have been taken. And within the hospital, of course, very stringent infection control measures have been implemented and the patient has now been transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital.”

Dr Chan further explained that four relatives travelling with the patient were diagnosed as asymptomatic. They stayed at Empire Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui last night before catching a flight to the Philippines this afternoon.

“His relatives are actually not cases of concern. They are close contacts of this patient with a preliminary positive result.

“So what we are doing is we have followed international practice. We will inform the Philippine authorities so that they will do the necessary control measures on their side.

“Regarding the hotel, we have alerted the hotel. So the hotel will carry out necessary disinfection on the floor that the relatives of this patient had stayed.”

The Centre for Health Protection will update the reported cases of the novel coronavirus infection on its dedicated webpage at 9am and 6pm every day.