Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced yesterday that her government has decided to close the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal (Shun Tak Centre) in Sheung Wan from midnight to protect the city from the novel coronavirus outbreak on the mainland.
Lam made the announcement of shutting most of Hong Kong's mainland border checkpoints at a press conference at the Hong Kong government's headquarters.
According to Lam, only three Hong Kong- border checkpoints will remain open - the airport, Shenzhen Bay and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB).
According to the announcement, until further notice no ferries will be running between Hong Kong and the mainland and Macau.
Last week, Hong Kong already had shut its Tuen Mun and Kowloon ferry terminals that provided ferry links with the mainland and Macau.
Lam's decision appears to have come as a surprise to Macau government officials. At a daily press conference by the government's Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre today, a police officer admitted that he was unaware of Hong Kong's suspension of all ferry links with Macau.
