Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen briefs the media at a press conference at the Central Government Offices in Tamar, Hong Kong on Jan 9, 2019. (ROY LIU/CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - The government is striving to immediately bring back Hong Kong people stranded in Hubei, but it must first secure enough quarantine centers, Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said on Saturday. 

It is important that we can secure quarantine centers of sufficient capacity so that when they return to Hong Kong, they would be subject to this quarantine arrangement

Nip Tak-kuen, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Hong Kong

Nip made the remarks after attending a radio program and explained that the government had begun making assessments and planning immidiately when it received requests of assistance.

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“It is important that we can secure quarantine centers of sufficient capacity so that when they return to Hong Kong, they would be subject to this quarantine arrangement," Nip said.

To contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Hong Kong government announced last month that all Hong Kong residents who have visited Hubei province in the past 14 days would be arranged to stay in quarantine centers for surveillance upon their arrival in Hong Kong even if they are asymptomatic.

Nip stressed that given more than 2,200 Hong Kong people in Hubei had sought assistance, such an operation must be done in batches.

“For each batch, I think we are talking about 150 to 200 people. That means we have to ensure that upon their return to Hong Kong, we have this size of quarantine facilities available," Nip said.

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“That is why I appeal to society to give support, and also for those districts where the quarantine centers will be placed, I hope they would understand and give their support so that we can secure these arrangements. Hence, we can talk to the local authorities in Hubei and make the (return) arrangement as early as possible," Nip said.

“Our objective is to do it as quickly as possible,” he added.