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Coronavirus: around 20 arrivals at Hong Kong airport found to have fever and are sent to hospital, raising fears of more cases

  • About a dozen incoming travellers said on their declaration form that they had symptoms, according to a spokesman for Department of Health
  • Total number of confirmed infections in city rises to 157, after nine more cases on Monday

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Some travellers at the airport declared that they had symptoms. Photo: Bloomberg
About 20 people who arrived at Hong Kong airport on Monday evening were found to have a fever and were sent to hospital, medical sources said, raising fears that more coronavirus infections could be confirmed in the city.

Many were sent to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung and, when that became full, cases were diverted to five other facilities across Hong Kong.

That came as the city recorded nine new confirmed infections on Monday, raising the total number of Covid-19 cases to 157.

About a dozen incoming travellers, who arrived on different flights, declared on their health declaration form that they had symptoms, a spokesman for the Department of Health said. Centre for Health Protection officers arranged for them to be hospitalised and most had minor respiratory symptoms.

The Post was told that, according to the departmental operation manager of the Infectious Disease Centre at Princess Margaret, the hospital could not take in new cases as it had already received about 30 referrals from Hong Kong International Airport on Monday.

The Hospital Authority activated its major incident control centre to divert cases to five other public hospitals. They were Prince of Wales, Yan Chai, Tuen Mun and North District hospitals, as well as Caritas Medical Centre.

Zoe Low
Zoe Low joined the Post in 2018 and is a reporter. Previously, she was an intern at The News Lens International in Taipei, covering Taiwan-China relations and foreign policy and social issues around Asia and Southeast Asia. She graduated from the London School of Economics and the National Chengchi University in Taiwan.
Elizabeth Cheung has been reporting on health for the Post's Hong Kong desk since 2014. She covers general medical news, breakthrough medical treatments and research, government policy and hospital blunders. Elizabeth has a master's in development studies.
Lilian joined the Post in 2019 as a senior reporter covering Hong Kong politics, Hong Kong-mainland issues, as well as housing and land policies. She started her career at Ming Pao in 2010 and was then a principal reporter at i-Cable News. She has won awards for her reports on a major historic relic discovery in Hong Kong, as well as vote-rigging problems in local elections.
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