Health Director Dr Margaret Chan says the Hong Kong International Airport and all external transport with other parts of the world are open as usual

The government also moved to scotch rumours that Hong Kong was to be declared an infected area. “I would like to take this opportunity to inform people categorically that there is no need for us to declare Hong Kong an infected area,” the Director of Health, Dr Margaret Chan told reporters.

“Our airport and all our external transport with other parts of the world will continue as usual. Everything is running as scheduled and normally,” she said.

An email hoax was identified as the source of the rumour.

The World Health Organisation’s infectious diseases chief, David Haymann, speaking from WHO headquarters in Geneva yesterday (Tuesday) said his team was still working on the basis that the virus is passed through small water droplets, and not airborne as some media reports had suggested.

In close cooperation with the World Health Organisation, Hong Kong’s Government has been at the forefront of global efforts to identify and contain the virus and successfully treat those infected by it. Hong Kong’s international airport has already introduced screening measures for departing and arriving passengers.

Since the first Hong Kong case was identified in early March there have been 685 confirmed cases. Open to international travel and business, the city is taking stringent health and hygiene measures to deal with the situation.

With early detection, the response rate to treatment is 95 per cent. More than 80 patients have been discharged after making a full recovery and many more will be discharged soon. A total of 16 have died in Hong Kong since the outbreak began.