Hong Kong has 15 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus. Having emerged in central China in December, this virus has killed more than 360 in central China area while generating anxiety across borders. In an effort to compel the Hong Kong government to shut the borders with mainland China to stop the spread of the virus and reduce the pressure felt by the medical community, hundreds of medical workers have gone on strike in Hong Kong. 

About 2,400 workers out of the 18,000 members of the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance (HAEA) were a part of the strike even though the government called for medical professionals not to halt work. 

The medical workers’ demands are that the government closes the border with the mainland, facilitates distribution of masks to the public, and that the frontline medical workers who are at the highest risk of exposure get an adequate supply of medicines and protective gear. Moreover, the striking workers have demanded for enough isolation wards for patients and a guarantee that no reprisals will be taken for the striking medical staff. 

About 100 people gathered at Hong Kong’s financial district in support of the health workers’ union, with banners that said, “Close Borders, Contain Epidemics.”

In a region that was facing months of uncertainty over the anti-government protests in Hong Kong, the anxiety over the spread of the coronavirus is adding fuel to the fire. The coronavirus is expected to put additional pressure on the city’s economy. Hong Kong is already facing a recession since it sank into violent protests that keep tourists at bay and retail stores empty. 

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