The government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has rolled out a scheme worth 80 billion Hong Kong dollars to keep businesses afloat and help keep people's jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the measure at a press briefing held on Wednesday afternoon, saying Hong Kong now faces unprecedented challenges and businesses across all sectors have been affected by the coronavirus, among which, tourism and aviation industries were the hardest hit.

Lam said the government will pay 50 percent of employees' salaries for six months. The subsidy cap is 9,000 Hong Kong dollars.

Meanwhile, Lam said Hong Kong will keep creating around 30,000 jobs in both private and public sectors in the coming two years.

The government will provide some 10,000 civil servant posts and around 5,000 short-term intern posts.