Thousands of Hong Kong medical professionals voted to begin a five-day strike Monday after the government refused their demand to shut all entry points from China amid a deadly virus outbreak on the mainland. The Hospital Authority Employees Alliance said there were about 99 per cent of “Yes” votes cast by its members on Saturday. Hong Kong authorities have resisted pressure from some groups to shut all its borders with China, where the deadly outbreak has killed 259 people and infected more than 11,000 others. Hong Kong has at least 13 confirmed cases of the new strain of coronavirus. The fast-spreading virus has reminded many in Hong Kong of the SARS virus in 2003 that originated on the mainland and killed almost 300 people in the financial hub.

Source: National Post February 01, 2020 14:37 UTC