Hong Kong Quickly Shutters Its Museums and Public Spaces to Stop the Spread of the Deadly Coronavirus

Museums and other public
institutions across China closed last week in a country-wide effort
to stop the transmission of the deadly coronavirus, which was first
identified in the city of Wuhan in December.

Now, Hong Kong’s institutions
are following suit. 

City officials announced that,
starting tomorrow, museums, stadiums, and other public gathering
places in the city will be closed indefinitely as the region tries
to stem the spread of the disease.

Today, Hong Kong chief executive
Carrie Lam also declared that travel to and from China would be
reduced significantly. Rail services have been suspended, and
flights services have been cut in half. A tourist visa ban will
also affect many travelers.

There are currently eight known
cases of the coronavirus in Hong Kong, with six of those infected
coming over from the mainland via a new high-speed rail line. In
China, the problem is much worse, with 2,800 confirmed cases and at
least 100 deaths. Germany, Japan, the US, and other countries
around the world have all reported cases of the
disease. 

The US has also issued a
level-four travel advisory for China—the highest such
warning—urging citizens to avoid all non-essential trips. Other
countries, such as Turkey and Ukraine, have issued similar
warnings.

The spreading pandemic casts a
further shadow over Art Basel Hong Kong, which relies heavily on international
travelers. 

“Art Basel is taking the recent outbreak and spread of the new
coronavirus extremely seriously,” fair organizers said in a
statement issued to Artnet News. “We are closely monitoring the
developments and recommendations issued by the World Health
Organization and national governments, as well as consulting
directly with relevant experts. We will provide updates on the
implications for our Hong Kong show as soon as possible.”

Preparations for this year’s
fair, which is scheduled to take place from March 19 to 21, have
already been tested as ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong
stoked speculation that galleries would drop out.

So far, only a handful of galleries have
withdrawn from the event, and fair organizers have offered
discounts to the remaining participants. But just last week, a
group of international dealers sent a blistering letter to
the fair’s top brass demanding further concessions.

On January 23, just before
China’s New Year celebrations, the country’s biggest
institutions and destinations announced their indefinite
closure. Venues like the National Art Museum of China and the
Guangdong Art Museum closed their doors to the public the next day,
while the National Museum of China and the Great Wall shut down on
January 25. Private museums have similarly suspended opening
hours.

China’s New Year holiday,
originally scheduled to end on February 1, has been extended to
February 9 for businesses, while schools will remain closed until
February 17.

Over 57 million people across 15
cities in the country have been placed under full or partial
lockdown.

The post Hong Kong Quickly Shutters Its Museums and Public
Spaces to Stop the Spread of the Deadly Coronavirus appeared
first on artnet News.