Hong Kong: Chief Executive Lam declares emergency over coronavirus outbreak

*BUGS AT SOURCE*
W/S Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam arrives at news conference, Hong Kong
SOT, Carrie Lam, Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive: "What has happened is we reached a critical point on the 23rd of January when there were two confirmed cases of this novel coronavirus. At each stage the government's actions and reactions have to take into account the latest development, the severity of the public health situation and the advice that we receive from our experts. I thought that was a very simple sequence of events. There was absolutely no intention or plan to delay actions because of other non-health reasons. And it also has nothing to do with my absence from Hong Kong because despite my physical absence, I've been keeping in close contact with the Chief Secretary and the Secretary for Food and Health. I hope that we will see this in a very rational way."
M/S Journalist asking question
SOT, Carrie Lam, Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive: "The reason that the Chief Executive has appointed an expert panel is because, as I said, we have reached another higher level of emergency and in order to shorten the distance between the communication of the experts with the highest authority in Hong Kong to make that decision, I think it is a very good idea for me to have direct access and for the experts to have direct access, when they have discovered something that they should immediately bring to my attention."
M/S Journalist asking question
SOT, Carrie Lam, Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive: "The difficulties we are facing in dealing with this virus, because the symptoms may be mild or even invisible at the beginning of the onset. That's why I appeal to all of us that we should all do our part to help in the containment of this rather tricky virus." *MULTIPLE SHOTS AT SOURCE*
M/S Journalist asking question
SOT, Carrie Lam, Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive: "I wouldn't say that this is a delay, because the situation is evolving and we are putting in the best responses to control the spread of the virus."
W/S Lam speaking
SOT, Dr Tony Ko, Chief Executive of Hospital Authority: "Up to 12 pm today, we have accumulative of 305 cases who fulfil the criteria, and all of these cases have history of visiting Wuhan. And of course we are concerned and we are closely monitoring the epidemiology evolvement because the notification criteria may have to be readjusted according to how the infection is going to change."
W/S News conference ending
SCRIPT
Chief Executive Lam declared a city-wide health emergency over the coronavirus outbreak at a news conference in Hong Kong on Saturday.
Lam discussed the measures being taken to control the virus in the special administrative region.
"We reached a critical point on January 23rd when there were two confirmed cases of this novel coronavirus. At each stage, the Government's actions and reactions have to take into account the latest development, the severity of the public health situation and the advice that we receive from our experts", said Lam.
"The difficulties we are facing in dealing with this virus, because the symptoms may be mild or even invisible at the beginning of the onset. That's why I appeal to all of us that we should all do our part to help in the containment of this rather tricky virus," she added.
More than 1,000 cases of the new coronavirus, which has killed at least 41 people were confirmed in China and other countries.