Thousands of holidaymakers on cruise ships in Hong Kong and Japan face an agonising wait to find out if more among them have been infected. In Hong Kong, 3,600 people spent a second night confined aboard the World Dream. Hong Kong has been particularly nervous because the crisis revived memories of another coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Panic buying in semi-autonomous Hong Kong left supermarkets empty of toilet paper following false online claims of shortages, prompting authorities to appeal for calm. One person has died after contracting the virus in Hong Kong.

Source: New Strait Times February 06, 2020 22:07 UTC