Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Monday issued several new measures to curtail the spike of imported coronavirus cases and drive more social distancing.
From Wednesday, non-Hong-Kong residents arriving by air will not be allowed to enter the territory over a 14-day period and non-Hong-Kong residents entering from the Chinese mainland.
Macau and Taiwan will not be allowed to enter Hong Kong if they have visited foreign countries in the past 14 days.
Residents and non-residents entering Hong Kong from Macau or Taiwan are to undergo 14 days’ quarantine.
Lam is also to suspend the liquor licences of 8,600 bars and restaurants across Hong Kong from Wednesday, in the hope that preventing the sale of alcohol sparks further social distancing.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong police on Monday reported that, since last week’s introduction of compulsory quarantine orders for people arriving from abroad, there have been 36 breaches, with some people cutting off traceable wristbands and leaving their premises.
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Since the 14-day self-isolation order came into effect on March 19, police have been conducting spot checks against suspected offenders with the aid of electronic monitoring systems, police said in a statement.
It added that they have placed the 36 people who breached the orders on the wanted list and continue to locate them.
Leaving the place of quarantine is a criminal offence, with possible penalties including a six-month prison sentence and a fine of 25,000 Hong Kong dollars (3,200 U.S dollars).
Hong Kong reported 44 new cases of the new coronavirus on Monday, according to latest figures from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), bringing its total cases to 318.
Of the new cases 29 were imported, with those infected all recently returning from abroad, the CHP said.(dpa)
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