According to health officials Friday, two people suffering from H1N1 flu and in critical condition have been admitted in a a Hong Kong hospital. The two cases have occurred a year and a half following the outbreak that killed over 80 people in the city.

Following the 2003 outbreak of the SARS virus responsible for the deaths of 300 people in the city, including a further 500 worldwide, the Chinese financial centre seems nervous about infectious diseases.

A spokesman for Hong Kong’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital said a 21 year old female from mainland China had contracted H1N1 flu and was in critical condition. Admitted to hospital on 11th January, she was transferred to the intensive care unit Tuesday, but it could not be confirmed whether she was infected outside the city.

The spokesman also reported the case of a two year old placed in the hospital’s intensive care unit Tuedsay, suffering from the same illness.

The deadly influenza strain as confirmed by Hong Kong’s health department Friday was responsible for claiming 83 lives since a 2009 outbreak, sparking widespread panic and drawing criticism over what some preferred to describe as an official over-reaction.