While millions feared the spread of the corona virus, all Tai O fishing villagers were not wearing masks.

Located on the west side of Dai Tu Son Island, Hong Kong's largest island, the people of Tai O fishing village said that wearing a mask at the present time is not necessary.

"Now Tai O doesn't need them," said Chan Lui Fok, a 62-year-old fisherman. "There is a lot of seawater to wash my hands and I will use it as an antiseptic. If there is a problem, for example, there is a confirmed virus infection in Tai O, then of course I will wear a mask."

Hong Kong has recorded 42 cases positive for the new strain of corona virus (nCoV). Outbreak from Wuhan, Hubei Province, has killed more than 1,018 people and more than 40,000 infected worldwide.

Tai O Village has not recorded any cases of virus infection. However, most of the population here is old, some people have a pre-existing illness so it is very susceptible to infection during an epidemic. Medical supplies such as hand sanitizers, masks and other medicines in Tai O have been exhausted since the beginning of the Lunar New Year. The owner of the only pharmacy here, which serves nearly 2,000 residents, said he did not know when it would be available again.

"More than a hundred locals asked me, some tourists came here to buy masks, disinfectants, alcohol and hand sanitizers, I said we were out of stock," Cheung Wah, 13-year-old owner. Fook Sang Tong pharmaceutical store, Tai O branch, said. He worried when the flow of tourists still flocked to the ancient village on the weekends.

Tai O, known as the "Venice of Hong Kong", is the only traditional fishing village left in the special zone and an important fishing port from centuries ago. Lai Kin Bun, 62, a security guard who grew up in Tai O, recently returned from the city of Shenzhen for fear of mainland authorities imposing travel restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading. He used to suffer from respiratory diseases but now he is not worried.

"If the tourists come from outside, I will wear a mask of course. But we don't know when they will come, so how can we stop them?" He said.