INTERNATIONAL: Hong Kong will suspend for a month transit flights from around 150 countries and territories considered high risk because of the coronavirus, deepening the global financial hub's isolation.

A statement from Hong Kong International Airport on Friday says that any persons who have stayed in places classified as high risk by health authorities in the 21 days before travelling cannot transit through the city from 16 January until 15 February. The measure was taken "in order to control the spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant," it said.

The move comes as the city has seen around 50 cases of the fast-spreading Omicron variant since the end of last year.

Prior to the outbreak, which authorities said could be traced back to two aircrew members of Cathay Pacific Airways, the city had had no local transmissions for over three months.