Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (right) holds a press conference on a HK$25-billion relief package to help residents and businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak, Hong Kong, Feb 14, 2020. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government on Saturday announced a slew of new measures, including postponing the college entrance examination, to counter the threat of massive local transmission arising from the sharp increase in imported cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia. 

Those who are found to have violated  home quarantine rules will be arrested immediately without warning, said Chief Executive Carrie Lam

At a press briefing, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor warned that the government has zero tolerance to those who violate home quarantine rules. Those who are found to have violated the policy will be arrested immediately without warning, she said. At least four violators will be prosecuted next week, she said.

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The rush by Hong Kong residents to return from pandemic ravaged regions in Europe and North America has resulted in a sharp increase in imported cases of infection that could trigger a widespread community outbreak. Despite the tightening of the travel restrictions, some people subject to the mandatory 14-day quarantine are reported to have ignored the rules.

Lam said most civil servants are to resume working from home next week while emergency services and other essential public services, as well as basic and limited-scale public services, will continue

Lam once again rejected the proposal to ban non-local residents from entering Hong Kong. The government would not tighten immigration restrictions for now, but would not hesitate to do so when necessary, said Lam. 

The number of people entering Hong Kong has dropped sharply since the government imposed a mandatory quarantine on all arrivals from foreign countries on Thursday. 

The strict quarantine rule has cut down the arrivals of non-residents to an average of about 600, or 9 percent of the total, a day on Tuesday and Friday from 2,800 before. The daily average number of non-residents entering Hong Kong through the airport in February dropped to 4,200 from 20,000 in January. 

Lam also said that most civil servants are to resume working from home next week while emergency services and other essential public services, as well as basic and limited-scale public services, will continue. She called on all Hong Kong residents to cooperate with the government in the battle against the pandemic.

At the same press briefing, Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung announced that written tests for the Diploma of Secondary Education examination — the city’s college entrance exam – will be postponed for another four weeks to April 24 while the results are expected to be out in July.

 All primary and secondary schools, as well as kindergartens, will remain closed indefinitely until further notice

Chinese and English oral tests are cancelled. 

The education chief also noted all primary and secondary schools, as well as kindergartens, will remain closed indefinitely until further notice. Previously, the government said schools could reopen on April 20. 

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee announced that virus sample tests will be extended to those who arrive at the Hong Kong International Airport with no apparent symptoms of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.

Arrivals who are aged 65 or above and have visited high risk areas before coming to Hong Kong will be given containers for collecting deep throat saliva. Those who are not within that age group but live with seniors aged 65 or above will also be required to do the test.

The government plans to arrange charter flights to Hubei province to pick up stranded Hong Kong residents on March 25 and 26

The samples are to be delivered to designated collection points within specific dates. Those who are under quarantine can ask their friends or relatives to deliver the samples for them, Chan added. 

In the same press conference, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said the government was planning to arrange charter flights to Hubei province to pick up stranded Hong Kong residents on March 25 and 26. 

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According to Nip, this second round of evacuation will not include Hong Kong residents in the provincial capital Wuhan. It is because the four quarantine centers in Hong Kong are expected to be filled by the projected increase by the large number of residents returning in the next two weeks. 

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said employers need to arrange quarantine quarters, such as hotels, for their returning domestic helpers

Wuhan is regarded as a high-risk area as it continues to record new cases, said Nip, adding those who evacuated from cities outside Wuhan, which have zero new cases in the past 14 days, are only required for home quarantine. 

Meanwhile, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said at the press conference that employers need to arrange quarantine quarters, such as hotels, for their returning domestic helpers. 

The government requires foreign domestic helpers to return to their place of origin before starting new contracts with local employers. Law said there is an average of about 550 foreign domestic helpers entering Hong Kong every day.

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If employers fail to provide a quarantine quarters, their helpers will have to return to their places of origin, said Law. In addition, those employers will no longer be able to employ foreign domestic helpers, and the intermediary agencies involved will also be penalized. 

The government has also change the rules to allow foreign domestic helpers who completed their employment contracts to stay in Hong Kong. Upon the expiry of the contract, the foreign domestic helpers may now apply to the Immigration Department to defer the home leave for not more than 18 months. 

In addition, foreign domestic helpers may extend their stay as a visitor for up to one month to find new employers if their existing contracts are due to expire before July 31.