Hong Kong’s health department said there were no new cases of the coronavirus to report on Monday as it cancelled its daily press briefing. It is the first time the city has reported zero cases of covid-19 for six weeks.

In total, Hong Kong has recorded 1,025 cases and four deaths from the disease which originated in Wuhan, China. New cases have been in the single digits over the past week as social distancing measures were enacted.

Mui Wo. File photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.

However, on Sunday, two new cases were confirmed, including one which appeared to be a case of local transmission.

A spokesperson for the Centre for Health Protection urged the public to remain vigilant: “Given that the situation of Covid-19 infection remains severe and that there is a continuous increase in the number of cases reported around the world, members of the public are strongly urged to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong.”

Quarantine sentencing

Also on Monday, a 31-year-old businessman was sentenced to four weeks behind bars after he broke a quarantine order. Deepark Kumar arrived from Turkey on March 21 but attempted to leave a hotel in Aberdeen during his quarantine period. Immigration officials apprehended him at Shenzhen Bay border, RTHK reported.

Kumar, from India, is the first non-resident to be prosecuted under the law which applies to all visitors to the city.