Hong Kong suspends some rail, ferry linksHong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam wears a mask following the outbreak of a new coronavirus during a news conference, in Hong Kong on Tuesday. (Reuters photo)HONG KONG: Leader Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday a suspension of high-speed rail and ferry links with mainland China as the global financial hub scrambles along with many countries to limit the spread of a new coronavirus. Speaking just days after she announced a virus emergency, Lam, wearing a green mask, also urged Hong Kong residents to return from the mainland as soon as possible and quarantine themselves at home for 14 days. Beijing-backed Lam defended her decision not to close the entire border over the coronavirus threat, saying such a move would prevent the return home of Hong Kong people, some of whom commute daily. The coronavirus has rattled global markets and unnerved residents of Hong Kong, still haunted by memories of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) that killed nearly 300 people in the city in 2003.

Source: Bangkok Post January 28, 2020 12:00 UTC