The coronavirus that originated from Wuhan, China, officially known as Covid-19, has thrown a veil of uncertainly not just in China but over the whole world.
As the uncertainty continues, Hong Kong has decided to extend school suspensions until at least March 16. More on the report below:
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The Hong Kong government even told overseas students that are studying in the city that they need not rush to return to school.
Furthermore, the government also said that civil servants may work from home until at least February 23 in the hopes of reducing the risk of the virus spreading further.
Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung announced that secondary and primary schools would not be returning from an already extended break until mid-March, at the very least. This latest announcement extended an earlier suspension that was supposed to see students returning to school by March 2.
The announcement came on the heels of a dramatic rise in the death toll in the province of Hubei which houses Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak. Global health experts are already sounding the warning that the crisis could get worse before things start to look better.
At a press conference, Yeung said, “Social distancing and avoiding mass movement of people are the strategies for preventing and controlling the epidemic.
“There is no urgency for students now staying in the mainland and other countries to return to Hong Kong.”
So far, there have been 50 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the former British colony with one death.
A lot of the schools in Hong Kong have resorted to online learning and conducting lessons by conference call. Assignments are then handed out on a daily or weekly basis.
The outbreak has renewed tensions between the government and residents. Many are calling for the border with mainland China to be fully closed.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has ordered the closure of some border crossings but has held back on completely sealing it, saying it would be inappropriate, impractical, and discriminatory.
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