- Anti-contagion war chest increased as authorities reveal number of virus cases in Hong Kong now stands at 56
- Carrie Lam’s administration also looking at evacuating local passengers stranded on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise liner
The Hong Kong government is more than doubling its initial HK$10 billion (US$1.3 billion) to tackle the impact of the coronavirus, pledging HK$25 billion for a suite of measures, such as direct subsidies for firms to make masks and help for the elderly, hawkers and retailers.
Confirming an earlier report by the Post that the government was pouring more money into its emergency response, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the bolstered war chest would target businesses, workers and others hit hard by the health crisis, which has disrupted daily life and sparked panic buying.
Lam told a press conference on Friday: "We have asked for a special finance committee meeting to convene next week, probably after February 19. We urge lawmakers to support the funding."
10 Hongkongers on cruise ship off Japan confirmed coronavirus cases
The promise of new cash came as the number of infected cases in Hong Kong rose to 56 on Friday afternoon and with the government considering airlifting city residents stranded on a quarantined cruise liner docked off Japan's coast for almost two weeks, after 11 of them were found to have contracted the deadly coronavirus.
Under the strengthened financial package, the government will subsidise firms to set up local production lines for producing masks and swell the Hospital Authority's coffers by HK$4.7 billion.
One-off handouts will also be available for those operating in struggling sectors, including payments of HK$80,000 to individual travel agencies and retailers, subsidies of between HK$80,000 to HK$200,000 for restaurants and HK$5,000 to licensed hawkers.
Lam also promised new funding to groups that include some of the most vulnerable in society. That includes extra payments averaging HK$5,000 to low-income families, increasing subsidies for students by HK$1,000 to HK$3,500, and an unspecified sum for kindergartens, which are closed along with schools until at least March 16.
Hong Kong to quarantine all travellers from mainland, as leader invokes special powers
Meanwhile, Lam was expected to make an announcement late on Friday on options that could include evacuating the 260 Hongkongers on board the Diamond Princess following cross-party calls to bring the local holidaymakers home.
The Post understands the government is looking at various plans that require further discussions with the Japanese authorities.
It is believed that details on when the stricken passengers might return and the quarantine and isolation measures they would be subject to have yet to be finalised.
Eleven Hongkongers are among the 218 passengers found to be infected on board the 3,700-passenger Diamond Princess.
Hong Kong is battling to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, which originates from the central Chinese city of Wuhan and causes the disease now officially known as Covid-19.
As of Friday morning, more than 64,400 people worldwide have contracted the virus, mostly on the mainland, with the death toll now above 1,380.
Hong Kong confirms three new coronavirus cases
In Hong Kong, 56 people have been infected, one of those fatally and another has been discharged, according to the Centre for Health Protection.
The Diamond Princess, which set sail from Hong Kong on January 25, has been moored off Japan since February 3 after it emerged a former passenger who was dropped off in Hong Kong last month had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Japanese authorities then placed the ship under quarantine.
A Security Bureau spokesman revealed on Thursday night there were 260 Hong Kong passport holders on the cruise liner docked in Yokohama, which lies south of Tokyo, including the 10 reported as infected.
Four immigration officers have been deployed to Japan to help Hong Kong passengers for when their period of quarantine is due to end on February 19.
Both the pro-establishment and pan-democratic camps have urged the government to arrange special flights to bring the the stranded Hokngongers home, as well as offering them extra support such as medicine and translation services in the meantime.
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