Hong Kong will impose restrictions on all Hubei Province residents and people who visited the province in the past 14 days from entering the city.

The decision was announced after Chief Executive Carrie Lam convened a meeting of the Steering Committee & Command Centre about the novel coronavirus today.

As the outbreak is mainly found and the situation is getting more severe in Hubei Province, Hubei residents and people who visited the province in the past 14 days, except for Hong Kong residents, will not be permitted to enter Hong Kong from January 27 until further notice.

To facilitate the implementation of the measure, all self-service clearance channels at control points will only be open to Hong Kong residents.

Non-Hong Kong residents will have to use normal immigration counters for immigration clearance.

Mrs Lam on January 25 announced the activation of the emergency response level under the Preparedness & Response Plan for Novel Infectious Disease of Public Health Significance and rolled out strategies and measures to tackle the disease.

Given the confirmed cases in Hong Kong are imported ones, the Government has enhanced immigration control to contain the virus’ spread.

The Steering Committee & Command Centre is monitoring the development of the disease and listening to the advice of experts to study measures that can further reduce the chances of infected people entering the city.

At the meeting, it also considered that the restriction on Hubei residents and visitors should be imposed as soon as possible before the formulation of other more comprehensive measures.