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Updated January 27th, 2020 at 19:46 IST

HK gov: 8 virus cases, no sign of wider spread

Health officials in Hong Kong on Monday confirmed eight cases of a new viral disease but said there was no sign so far that the virus was spreading locally.

HK gov: 8 virus cases, no sign of wider spread
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Health officials in Hong Kong on Monday confirmed eight cases of a new viral disease but said there was no sign so far that the virus was spreading locally. They said all had been to China's central Hubei province - its capital Wuhan is the epicentre of the outbreak - or were related to someone who had been there.

Among the suspected coronavirus cases being quarantined was a Filipino domestic helper who was not showing any symptoms.

During a news conference in Hong Kong, health officials also warned that the effect of a strike by healthcare workers would be "huge".

Some health care workers are unhappy with current work conditions in the face of the outbreak and a number of unions are discussing the possibility of strikes.

Hong Kong announced on Monday it would bar entry to visitors from the province at the centre of the outbreak following a warning the virus’s ability to spread was growing.

The move comes as China expands sweeping efforts to contain the viral disease by extending the Lunar New Year holiday to keep the public at home and avoid spreading infection as the death toll rose to 81.

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Published January 27th, 2020 at 19:46 IST

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