Hong Kong to Extend School Holidays as Deadly Flu Outbreak Spreads

Hong Kong’s kindergarten and primary school students will start their Chinese New Year holiday from Thursday, earlier than originally planned, amid an influenza outbreak that has claimed more than 100 lives in the city.

The government rolled out the measure due to the “severe” infection, said Wong Ka-hing, Controller of the Centre for Health Protection, in a briefing on Wednesday. School children were originally scheduled to start the holiday two or three days before the Chinese New Year on Feb. 16.

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Two children have died during the current outbreak in Hong Kong, according to officials. Authorities have recorded 194 severe cases among adults, 111 of whom have died. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced in January an additional HK$500 million for the city’s public hospitals to tackle influenza.