HONG KONG, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is proactively taking actions to liaise with relevant mainland authorities to discuss on how to bring back Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei province in an orderly manner, said a spokesperson for HKSAR government on Sunday.

The SAR government attaches great importance to the situation of Hong Kong people in Hubei, and fully understands why they are keen to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible, the spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, as of Sunday morning, the SAR government had received more than 1,400 cases of request for assistance in Hubei, involving over 2,700 Hong Kong people there.

The spokesperson said that the SAR Wuhan Economic and Trade Office had been keeping close contact with the assistance seekers and making its utmost efforts in providing them with assistance, such as helping with their medical and daily needs.

"The HKSAR government is determined to overcome all difficulties with the aim to bringing back the Hong Kong people stranded in Hubei," the spokesperson stressed, adding "at the same time, there is a need for all relevant parties to come together to draw up a sound and safe plan in order to reduce the public health risks to a minimum."

According to the spokesperson, a 77-year-old Hong Kong man passed away in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, due to COVID-19. And 10 Hong Kong people from three families in Hubei were infected with COVID-19, nine were treated in local hospitals and one had been discharged.