Hong Kong airport to ban transit by those from high-risk nations -Bloomberg

Airport staff members queue up to collect coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing kits, following the COVID-19 outbreak, at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong

(Reuters) - Hong Kong's international airport is set to ban transit by passengers from designated high-risk countries, Bloomberg News said on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The suspension will start on Jan. 15 and run through Feb. 14, it added, but will not apply to diplomats, government officials, athletes and staff participating in the Winter Olympics, which open on Feb. 4 in Beijing.

(Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)