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Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 23:45
Virus: Govt mulls amendments to support special outlay
By Gu Mengyan
Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 23:45 By Gu Mengyan

Pedestrians wearing face masks cross a road in Hong Kong on Jan 27, 2020, as a preventative measure following a coronavirus outbreak. (ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

HONG KONG - Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said the government planned to make necessary amendments so that the HK$28-billion special fund announced last week can help those hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak.

Cheung made the remarks when responding to lawmakers’ questions at a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday morning. He was accompanied by 11 principal government officials at the three-hour session, including Secretary for Security Lee Ka-Chiu, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee, and Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong.

READ MORE: HK increases funds to tackle virus outbreak to HK$28b

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said the amendments would benefit low-income families at a time of rising unemployment and underemployment

Detail of amendments would be made public as soon as on Wednesday. Law said the amendments would benefit low-income families at a time of rising unemployment and underemployment. 

On Wednesday, a 70-year-old man with underlying illnesses became the second person in the city to die of the outbreak. He was one of 62 people in HK confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus. 

On efforts to contain the fallout of the disease, Cheung said the newly built and unoccupied Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan has the capacity for 1,000 units. It is expected to serve as quarantine center for Hong Kong residents evacuated from the cruise ship Diamond Princess, quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama since Feb 3. Another 600 units will be built in Penny’s Bay close to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. This apart, 600 new units are being built inside three of the four quarantine centers currently in use. Those will be ready for use in April. 

Cheung didn’t specify how many people suspected to have contracted the disease can be accommodated in the quarantine centers. Currently, 150 units across four quarantine centers are at 80 percent capacity. 

Answering questions about inadequate supervision of people placed under mandatory quarantine, Cheung shot down talk of such people freely walking down streets. He said such a thing had never happened.

He said as of Tuesday, officers of the disciplined branches conducted inspection in 1,856 instances involving more than 5,000 people placed in home quarantine. Police have caught four people violating quarantine rules. They could be prosecuted later. 

Security chief Lee said the crew of two chartered aircraft scheduled to ferry stranded HK residents from Japan Thursday can be exempted from mandatory quarantine as they will fly in full protective gear.  

ALSO READ: Virus could be knockout blow for HK's tourism, retail sectors

He also dismissed claims of the police force being allocated more than its share of face masks. He said the force’s current stock of face masks was sufficient for only a week’s use as 20,000 officers were engaging in high-risk assignments every day. The force needs to apply to Government Logistics Department whenever it needs replenishment.

Chan said Hong Kong will likely take part in a global clinical trial for a new drug to treat the disease caused by the new coronavirus after discussions with a drug company. 

 

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