Chesterfield man in Hong Kong says life has changed 'dramatically' since coronavirus outbreak

Jonny Green, 32, has been in Hong Kong for five days, and has experienced first hand the panic that has overcome the area as more and more people die from the deadly disease.

The Coronavirus outbreak started in the city of Wuhan, in Hubei Province, in December last year, and has since killed more than 200 people.

It has now spread worldwide, and today (January 31), the chief medical officer for England has announced that two people in the UK have tested positive for the virus.

The patients were believed to be staying in a hotel in Yorkshire, before being taken overnight to a specialist centre in Newcastle.

Mr Green, who is visiting his great uncle, said: “At the moment, [the virus has] spread dramatically and fast.

“Life has changed dramatically, and in the last six days announcement have been made advising people to start wearing surgical masks.

“I have been in Hong Kong for five days and it’s very intense. The government are trying their best to control this outbreak.

“If you travel on local transport such as buses, trains, and the metro, announcements are made over a speaker saying if you feel ill, or are coughing, feel sick, short of breath or are bleeding you must report to quarantine or a hospital.

“Personally, I’m not worried about the spread of the virus – it hasn’t fully reached Hong Kong yet, but people are very paranoid and 99 per cent of people are wearing masks.

“The area isn’t in lockdown like any other places, but there are talks of closing the inland border.”

Mr Green added that the family friends he has visited have said the cost of food, and services such as hotels and flights have dropped in price since the outbreak.

“Expats an tourists are very worried for any future announcements,” he added.

Cases of the virus have reached nearly 10,000 in China, and more than 100 cases have been reported across another 22 countries, including Australia, Singapore, Thailand and France.