Bar Patrons Ticketed Over Suspected Breach Of Curbs

Police said on Sunday that they have issued penalty tickets to 42 people who allegedly violated social distancing measures after a surprise inspection of restaurants and bars in Wan Chai district.

The overnight operation covered more than 20 premises.

A bar at Yun Ping Road in Causeway Bay and another at Gloucester Road were suspected to have breached the limit on gatherings. The customers involved were fined while bar operators were prosecuted for violating the anti-epidemic regulations.

The police said they will step up inspections as they urged people to observe the government’s health restrictions in place.

Separately, officers handed out fines to 12 people after they were found gathering in an unlicensed bar in Mong Kok as part of a larger operation on Friday and Saturday.

A total of 58 people were arrested after police carried out surprise inspections on dozens of bars, night clubs and sauna parlours.

Officers said they seized suspected drugs, cash, pornographic video disks, gambling machines, as well as liquor worth more than HK$700,000 during the raids.

The 42 men and 16 women arrested were suspected of offences including criminal damage, fighting in public and operating unlawful gambling establishments.

Two of them were illegal immigrants suspected of prostitution.