Tam Yiu-chung, the SAR's sole delegate to the National People's Congress standing commitee opened up that possibility by pointing to President Xi Jinping's directive to Hong Kong officials to give top priority to containing outbreaks.

Since Xi said anti-epidemic work should take precedence over other matters to "avoid distractions," Tam said arrangements for the election - scheduled for March 27 with the nomination period starting on Sunday - will be affected.

"As anti-epidemic work is the 'overriding mission' in Hong Kong, the central and SAR governments might have to consider appropriate arrangements for the chief executive election, including a postponement," Tam said.

"It's very important to control the outbreaks as soon as possible because it's a matter of life or death. ... Anything that may distract us should be put on hold."

NPC member Ip Kwok-him echoed Tam's sentiment, saying the problem will be solved if the NPC passes a resolution to extend the current administrative term during its meeting starting March 5.

Ip also said the election is of paramount importance as a political activity within the constitutional system. If Beijing wishes a postponement, Ip believed, no one will be able to obtain sufficient nominations. That, he said, brings about the second possibility, where a postponement is inevitable with no one being able to obtain the 188 nominations required to run.

The election will then be postponed for 42 days, meaning it will be put off until April 17 at the earliest.

"But this is still a short-term arrangement and I believe this will not be the way forward," Ip said.

The third and final possibility will be selecting a chief executive through consultations as outlined in article 45 of the Basic Law. But Ip said this is not possible since the 1,448-member Election Committee has already been elected.

Executive Council member Ronny Tong Ka-wah does not, however, want a postponement.

He said the Basic Law does not have clauses that allow the current administrative term to be extended.

Tong added that extending the term would mean shortening the time that the next government term has to select the principal officials.

The atmosphere of the chief executive race thus far has been lukewarm, with no prominent political figures throwing their hats in the ring. Only two have voiced their intention to run - 64-year-old producer and businessman Checkley Sin Kwok-lam and 62-year-old property investor and former Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong Wu Sai-chuen.