Disease Expert Says Distancing Rules Should Be Eased

The chairman of the Medical Association's advisory committee on communicable diseases says Hong Kong can begin carefully easing social distancing rules as the Covid-19 situation is stabilising.

Dr Leung Chi-chiu made the comments on Monday after the SAR reported no new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the third time in a week the SAR had no new coronavirus patients.

The government announced last week that a raft of social distancing measures, including a ban on most gatherings of more than four people, would stay in place until at least May 7.

Leung also said that schools could reopen as soon as next month for the first time since the Lunar New Year holiday in January.

"I think schools can resume classes – either morning session or afternoon session but not the whole day of school – at any time after we have the DSEs," Leung said, referring to the delayed Diploma of Secondary Education exams, which run until late May.

"We may consider partial resumption of our schools, step by step."

However Leung told RTHK's Janice Wong that it was too early to consider relaxing quarantine arrangements for travellers from the mainland, as the virus is continuing to circulate in some provinces.

All new arrivals are required to spend 14 days in home quarantine.

The mainland reported three new coronavirus cases on Sunday, two of which were imported, as well as 25 new asymptomatic cases.