In a dramatic escalation of the central government’s involvement, China deployed 450 military medical staff to Wuhan, state media said. Hong Kong declares outbreak an ’emergency’Meanwhile, Hong Kong on Saturday declared the coronavirus outbreak as an “emergency” — the city’s highest warning tier — as authorities ramped up measures to reduce the risk of further infections. Of the five people who have tested positive for the virus in Hong Kong so far, four arrived via a newly built high-speed train terminal which connects with the mainland. “We haven’t seen serious and widespread infections (in Hong Kong), but we are taking this seriously and we hope to be ahead of the epidemic,” Lam said. Ho Pak Leung, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong, said closing the mainland border would be the “single most effective measure” in containing the virus.

Source: Pakistan Today January 25, 2020 12:33 UTC