Published 14:57 IST, February 11th 2020
Hong Kong villagers roam mask free as coronavirus fear grips the world
A fishing village in Hong Kong's western side of Lantau Island, Tai O, which is the largest of Hong Kong’s islands stays calm amid coronavirus, as per reports.
A fishing village in Hong Kong's western side of Lantau Island, Tai O, which is the largest of Hong Kong’s islands staying calm amid coronavirus outbreak, as per the reports. The residents of the village roam mask free with a lot of them saying that they will use them when necessary. Chan Lui Fok, a 62-year-old fisherman said that they do not need them and added that there's a lot of sea water to wash hands which can work as a sanitizer. He also added that if there's a confirmed case in Tai O then they will wear a mask. As of now, Hong Kong has 42 confirmed cases of deadly coronavirus that has killed more than 1,000 people in mainland China and raised global concerns.
No confirmed cases reported in village
Most of the population residing in the village are elderly with no confirmed cases. The supplies for hand sanitizers, masks, and other perceived panaceas in Tai O ran out at the beginning of the Lunar New Year. The owner of its one pharmacy that caters to its population of around 2000 said that he was not sure when he could restock. Cheung Wah, who operates the Tai O branch of Fook Sang Tong Medicine Co Pharmacy said that a lot of people have asked him about disinfectant, hand wash, etc and he always say that he is out of stock.
He added that he has no clue that when he will have any stock again. He said that he was worried about the constant visit of tourists who throng to the village in the weekends. A 62-year-old security guard who grew up in Tai O, Lai Kin Bun moved back to his fishing community from across the Chinese border as he was afraid that he might not be able to return if authorities took additional measures to prevent the spread of deadly coronavirus outbreak.
Updated 14:57 IST, February 11th 2020