HONG KONG -- Hong Kong has suspended in-person classes for lower primary school students after the city’s top health official said the coronavirus situation in the city was rapidly deteriorating.

Classes for primary 1 to 3 students will be suspended for two weeks from Monday. The suspension comes just over a week after kindergartens were ordered to close following an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infections.

Hong Kong confirmed 26 new coronavirus infections on Friday, 21 of which are local cases.

“I would appeal to people to stop all unnecessary gathering activities because the situation is severe now in Hong Kong,” Hong Kong health minister Sophia Chan said.

Hong Kong is due to launch an air travel bubble with Singapore on Sunday. Currently, the air travel bubble remains on track, although it could be suspended according to the agreement between Singapore and Hong Kong if the seven-day moving average for untraceable coronavirus infections exceed five in either city. (AP)