Pedestrians bustle around the Causeway Bay retail hub in Hong Kong on Friday. Photo: Li Qiaoyi/GT

Hong Kong has reported three more cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to five.
Respiratory samples of three travelers from Wuhan were tested positive for novel coronavirus. The patients, in stable condition, were under isolation in hospital, according to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

Of the three new cases, the first involved a 62-year-old woman, who arrived in Hong Kong by train on Jan. 19 and developed fever and cough on Jan. 20.

Three of her family members, coming to Hong Kong with her, will be transferred to Lady MacLehose Holiday Village for quarantine although showing no symptoms.

The other two cases involved a couple from Wuhan, 62 and 63 respectively, who came to Hong Kong on Jan. 22 and presented symptoms over following days. Their daughter, also developing fever, will be under isolation, and their asymptomatic domestic helper will be under quarantine.

The CHP is making epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing of the five confirmed cases in Hong Kong.

As of Friday noon, the CHP has received reports of 239 suspected cases and 5 confirmed cases since Dec. 31, 2019, with 122 cases discharged already after being ruled out as novel coronavirus infection.

HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Saturday morning at the Hong Kong airport after coming back from the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos that the health of the public is the first priority. She added that a high-level meeting on the pneumonia situation will be held later Saturday.

The HKSAR government has activated the serious response level in its contingency plan to prevent the spread of the infectious disease. It has enhanced the monitoring of suspected cases, imposed a health declaration form system on inbound travelers by air and railway, and canceled festive events for the Lunar New Year celebrations.