Hong Kong (CNN) Hong Kong will make wearing masks in public compulsory and limit gatherings to no more than two people as officials in the city grapple with a rising surge in coronavirus infections. On Monday, Hong Kong's Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung announced that face masks would be mandatory in both indoor and outdoor public places from Wednesday, with offenders facing fines of up to 5,000 Hong Kong dollars ($645), although he didn't specify how the new measure would be enforced. People with "reasonable excuses" such as medical conditions or children under the age of two will be exempt, he added. Cheung also announced that the Chinese central government will help build a Wuhan-style makeshift hospital near Hong Kong's airport with a capacity of around 2,000 hospital beds. "The epidemic situation is critical," Cheung said, adding that the next few weeks are extremely crucial for the city.

Source: CNN July 27, 2020 09:45 UTC