Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

SOME ferry and speedboat services from Hong Kong International Airport to Shekou Ferry Terminal and Fuyong Ferry Port of Shenzhen International Airport have been suspended since Sunday. Cross-border bus services from the Hong Kong airport to mainland cities via Shenzhen were also suspended.

The updated measures were taken after one imported case of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Shenzhen was confirmed as passing through the Hong Kong airport and related transportation services.

The male Chinese patient surnamed Sun, 35, took flight CX250 from London to Hong Kong on Thursday. After arrival the next day, he took the ferry to Shekou at 4:32 p.m., according to the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission.

No body temperature abnormalities were detected at Shekou Cruise Home Port, and he took a taxi home to Futian.

Sun began showing COVID-19 symptoms Saturday and was confirmed having COVID-19 the next day. Sun has been working in Bristol in the United Kingdom for the past two years and has never traveled to Hubei before. Two of his colleagues from his workplace in the U.K. now also display symptoms of coughing and fever, according to his statement.

As of Sunday, 93 individuals who have had close contact with Sun have been tracked down, 46 of who are family members, the cab driver, ferry crew and passengers put under medical observation. The commission is searching for the other 47 ferry passengers, including 25 people that have left Shenzhen.

Fubao Subdistrict has imposed a 14-day quarantine on 200 residents in the housing estate where Sun lives starting Sunday after he was confirmed infected.

China has stepped up efforts against imported cases of COVID-19 infections as several imported cases have been reported in Beijing, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

All passengers arriving in China must file a personal health report and have their body temperature taken at customs, according to a press conference by the General Administration of Customs on Sunday. All confirmed cases, suspected cases, people with symptoms or who have had close contact with COVID-19 patients will be transferred, quarantined or undergo medical observation.

Passengers who enter China will also undergo strict inspection, Liu Haitao, an official with the National Immigration Administration said Sunday.

Those with a travel or residence history from areas where the epidemic is severe will undergo further inspection and quarantine measures, according to Liu.

As of Monday, there have been over 8,800 confirmed coronavirus cases and 130 deaths outside China, according to a Reuters tally.

Shandong and Liaoning provinces have introduced measures such as 14-day quarantines for people arriving from virus-hit Japan and South Korea and are arranging hotels for arriving foreign visitors, according to a report by the Global Times.

Zhu Tao, an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said at a news conference by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council on Sunday that flights between China and South Korea and Japan will be reduced this week as the epidemic has been seen spreading in those countries. Flights with South Korea will be cut to 276 a week and with Japan to 263 this week. Between Feb. 23 and March 1, around 1,300 South Korean nationals came to China on average daily, statistics from National Immigration Administration showed. “Inbound passengers from South Korea are mainly Chinese, making up 70 percent of passengers,” said Zhu.