Thousands of medical workers went on strike in Hong Kong for a second day to demand the border with mainland China be shut completely, as it registered the first death from the Coronavirus.

 Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority said it was cutting back services because “a large number of staff members are absent from duty” and “emergency services in public hospitals have been affected.”

All but two of Hong Kong’s land and sea crossings with the mainland were closed at midnight after more than 2,000 hospital workers went on strike Monday. More than 7,000 joined the strike on Tuesday.

 Hong Kong health authorities reported two additional patients without any known travel to the virus epicentre, bringing the number of locally transmitted cases up to four.

Meantime, in mainland China, the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus rose above 20,000.  The death toll rose to 425.

Macau planned to shut its casinos and a technology hub near Shanghai unveiled severe restrictions on residents’ movements.