Hong Kong Special District Chief Carrie Lam wears a mask under his nose during a press conference on how to prevent the spread of Wuhan pneumonia.

Ms. Lam and some Hong Kong government officials held a press conference today to announce measures to prevent the spread of Wuhan virus from mainland China to the special zone. At the beginning of the press conference, Ms. Lam was wearing a proper mask, but then the green medical mask slipped beneath her nose.

Wearing a medical mask is considered an effective preventive measure of the risk of nCoV virus infection causing Wuhan pneumonia. However, health experts recommend that everyone wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose for effectiveness.

During the press conference, Ms. Lam opposed the call to completely ban people from mainland China from Hong Kong. Instead, she announced that all high-speed trains and ferries from the mainland to Hong Kong will be suspended from today. Flights to the mainland are cut in half and travel permits for mainlanders will also be suspended.

All visitors from Hubei Province or those who have visited the province in the past 14 days are prohibited from entering Hong Kong, except Hong Kong citizens. The city also stops all large-scale events and attractions.

Pandemic outbreaks of the new corona pneumonia virus (nCoV) have begun in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, China. The epidemic now spreads to 18 countries and territories around the world.

By this time, the Wuhan pneumonia epidemic had left 170 people dead and nearly 8,000 infected. Millions of people are trapped in and around Wuhan when the city is blocked in order to prevent the disease from spreading to other cities in China as well as other countries.

Wuhan Mayor Chu Tien Vuong was also criticized on January 26 by Chinese netizens for wearing the wrong mask when wearing the wrong side of the mask outside. Hubei Governor Wang Xiaodong was also criticized for not wearing a mask, violating the provincial regulation of wearing a mask in public.