Staff at professional services firm ILS World have been ‘coping brilliantly in a challenging situation’ says chief executive Chris Eaton.

Isle of Man- based Mr Eaton said was full of praise for his colleagues in Hong Kong over the coronavirus emergency.

The ILS World Asia team has been based in Hong Kong for more than 14 years and is led by managing director Lilian Cheung, who was based in the Isle of Man for a number of years.

Mr Eaton said: ‘At the beginning of February, when the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency, ILS World took immediate action and temporarily closed our office in Hong Kong.

‘We activated our emergency plans and our Hong Kong personnel continued to provide services for our clients remotely and also via our worldwide network of offices.’

He added: ‘It’s been a particularly tough year for them. As well as the coronavirus they have lived and worked with political unrest, violent clashes, the closure of MTR stations (rapid transit system) and the blocking of highways.’

Lilian Cheung sent this vivid first-hand report from Hong Kong last week: ‘It has been a very difficult time for everyone and particularly unsettling as you don’t know if you have the virus or if the person next to you has it.

‘At this point everyone in our office is healthy and sound and they have all been wearing face masks.

‘We bought the masks from overseas ordering them from Thailand, Canada, Japan, Korea, Israel and Malaysia and have enough for all the staff and their families until the end of April.

‘We have them in sufficient numbers and we were able to donate 150 to a community centre for the elderly in Kowloon.

‘We understand the manufacture of masks has now started in Hong Kong and will reach the market in March so supplies will become easier.

‘The situation is very fluid and with the news the government will be returning next week we have also decided our team will stop working from home and return to the office, travelling during non-peak working hours.

‘One of the team was due to be married today (Thursday Feb 27) but it has been postponed for seven months.

‘Compared to Korea, Japan and Italy, we believe confirmed cases in Hong Kong are still keeping to a low level, 85 in one month, and most are within families and groups.

‘Schools will be closed until April 20 and it is hoped if Hong Kong can keep to three or four new cases a day then by April or May, when the weather becomes hotter, the virus will slowly disappear.’

The Hong Kong office is a very busy office for ILS World and the team provides corporate and trust related services assisting clients who are looking to operate a business, protect their wealth or expand their operations in Asia.

They handle the day to day management of structures and provide complementary services including company secretarial, accounting, payroll and tax compliance.

The Isle of Man office is in Victoria Road, Douglas.