User:HNlander/Wuhan epidemic

Background
On 31 December 2019, China reported an outbreak of mysterious pneumonia, which was later confirmed to be caused by 2019-nCoV, a previously unknown coronavirus, in Wuhan. On 6 January, Hong Kong hospitals raised the alert level to "serious", after the information about the outbreak provoked the online discussion of a return of Sars virus that killed hundreds in 2002-03. Although mainland China's authorities had not found evidence of human-to-human transmission, Dr. Ho Pak-leung, director of the University of Hong Kong’s Centre for Infection, suggested that the possibility should be considered and stringent preventive measures be taken.

On 26 January 2020, Hong Kong raised the response level from "alert" to "emergency" as the Chinese president Xi Jinping warned a "grave situation of an accelerating spread of the new coronavirus." Although Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam vowed to "be ahead of epidemic," and promised to cut all flights and rail services with Wuhan, the government's response was criticised for being too late, as Wuhan and other 7 Hubei cities had shut down their public transport systems. Dr. Ho told media, to suppress the spread of the disease, certain border controls should be implemented in the city's border with mainland China, where the disease originated.

Lam has been under pressure due to the protests triggered by her attempt to pass a controversial extradition law. Months of protests decreased people's distrust of the Hong Kong government and fired up strong anti-government sentiments. However, Lam refused to close down the border with mainland China, which was requested by a union of public hospital staff. The union, along with other trade unions, believed that what Lam had done was far from enough and threatened to strike unless the entire border is fully closed.

29 January protests
On 28 January, tens of nurses in different Hong Kong hospitals took sick leaves, including 15 at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, 5 at nurses at Princess Margaret Hospital. On 29 January, at least 90 nurses in 3 Hong Kong hospitals took sick leaves before the planned strike. These acts were considered as "the alarm before the real strike" for the government had under-heard the demands of them.

On 29, an email from Ruttonjee Hospital's frontline medical workers to the Hospital Authority was released on the Internet. The email criticised the government for not closing all the border with mainland China, claiming that a partial closure of border was not helpful to reduce the risk of the viral infection brought by mainlanders. They threatened to launch an industrial action unless the government agreed to close the border.

On the same day, protestors blocked multiple roads. At the Lion Rock Tunnel Road's southernly lanes near Hung Mui Kuk, 7 protestors in black blocked the tunnel with several large waste bins and waste which could be from a country park nearby. Lung Cheung Road's westward lanes near Morse Park and Tin Ma Court were blocked by protesters using bricks and iron fences, leaving only one lane open for cars to pass through. At Tai Po's Tai Wo Road, protesters blocked the road with garbages, while the police arriving at the scene arrested at least 3. Shau Kei Wan Road was blocked near Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre, where garbages and traffic cones were placed on the road. Tram rails nearby were also affected. But some cars ignored the roadblocks and ran over them. At Central's IFC mall, protesters gathered, showing signs and uttering slogans, including "supporting medical workers". The guards of the mall closed some passages within the mall with tapes. The protesters left the mall peacefully at around 14:30.

Suspected bombs linked to the strike
On 28 January, a senior police officer of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau told media, three bomb attacks happened in Hong Kong in the past two days, including a bomb attack at restrooms of the Caritas Medical Centre and near Jordan Road on 25, and at Shenzhen Bay Port. After the attacks, there was a person who admitted to take responsibility for the attacks. The suspect said it wanted the medical workers to be on strike and the government to close all the border, while the police officer condemned his behaviour. The police said the case was still under investigations.

2-7 February strike
Henry Fan, the chairman of Hong Kong's Hospital Authority (HA), responded to the appeal of HA staff that natural duty and ethnic