Hong Kong reports 19 new coronavirus cases, down from recent spike

Hong Kong reported 19 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including 14 that were locally transmitted, as new social distancing measures came into force and as authorities warned that the risk of a large-scale outbreak remained high.

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Wednesday's toll dropped substantially from Tuesday's 48 new cases. The city had registered a sharp increase in the number of cases in the past week with the majority of cases transmitted locally.

Since late January, the global financial hub has reported more than 1,500 cases and eight deaths.