Coronavirus: Hong Kong reports zero new cases for first time in more than six weeks

Lack of cases led to the Department of Health and Hospital Authority deciding not to hold a daily press briefing, which has been ongoing since January

Hong Kong has recorded zero new coronavirus cases for the first time since early March, health officials announced on Monday.

The lack of cases led to the Department of Health and Hospital Authority deciding not to hold a daily press briefing, which has been ongoing since late January.

However, the concern that imported cases of Covid-19 remains as officials turned a hotel in Kowloon City into a quarantine centre in an effort to minimise the risk of infected travellers spreading the virus.

According to South China Morning Post, the Regal Oriental Hotel was turned into a quarantine facility, with existing guests transferred to another hotel on short notice on Sunday night.

Hong Kong confirmed 1,025 total cases and four deaths since the outbreak started in January. The government closed schools and banned public gatherings of more than four people to contain the virus, but stopped short of a full lockdown like those imposed elsewhere.

But the current social distancing measures are expected to be extended, said a health expert, as two new infections were recorded on Sunday, including the city’s first local case in 10 days.

Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, a respiratory diseases expert at Chinese University, told local television the measures could only be eased “if there are no more local cases in the following 28 days”.

A spokesperson for Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection said: "Given that the situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and that there is a continuous increase in the number of cases reported around the world, members of the public are strongly urged to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong.

"The CHP also strongly urges the public to maintain at all times strict personal and environmental hygiene, which is key to personal protection against infection and prevention of the spread of the disease in the community."

In neighbouring Taiwan, authorities reported a spike in cases after 700 navy personnel returned from a visit to the small Pacific island state of Palau.

A total of 22 new coronavirus infections were found among the personnel, all of whom are being quarantined and were tested.

Taiwan’s Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said cases were discovered on one of the three ships that visited Palau from 12 to 15 March but further investigations were needed before they could determine where exactly they were infected.

Palau’s health authority said there was “little chance” the sailors caught the virus while on the island, as it is one of the last states in the world yet to report an outbreak of Covid-19.

Health Minister Emais Roberts said on Monday that more than a month had passed since the ships visited, and no one in Palau had tested positive or shown any symptoms of coronavirus.

He said: “There is little chance that the virus on the vessels came from Palau. There is no reason for us in Palau to panic.”

Taiwan has reported 422 coronavirus infections, with six deaths.

Additional reporting by agencies