The outbreak, which emerged last month, has revived memories of the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic that started in southern China and killed more than 700 people in the mainland, Hong Kong and elsewhere. The serious response level indicates a moderate effect on Hong Kong’s population of 7.5 million people. The Hong Kong Department of Health on Friday added an additional thermal imaging system at Hong Kong International Airport to check the body temperature of arriving passengers. More staff have been assigned for temperature checks at the West Kowloon high-speed rail station that connects Hong Kong with China. Wuhan’s health commission said that 11 of 44 people diagnosed with the pneumonia were in a critical condition as of Friday.

Source: Taipei Times January 04, 2020 15:56 UTC