Distancing Rules No Barrier For Mother's Day Diners

Dim sum restaurants hummed with the sound of families celebrating Mother's Day on Sunday, with some taking advantage of more relaxed social distancing rules while others happy to tolerate being divided between tables.

It's the first significant holiday since the government rolled out its vaccine bubble initiative, which allows restaurants to increase capacity and seat more people at a table if certain requirements are met. For some families, this meant a first chance in months to have a meal out without splitting themselves into smaller groups.

One mother at a restaurant in Choi Hung was able to sit with her two daughters, a son-in-law, and two of her grandchildren.

“Of course I’m happier if more of us can sit together. Previously only two people could eat together, it was a lot more quiet before” the woman said.

“I’m very happy, It’s been a long time. I’m very content. I hope later we can all sit at the same table,” another mother told RTHK.

They were sat in a section of the restaurant where a maximum of six people can use the same table. They were only able to do so after scanning the government's LeaveHomeSave app. All staff members working in the section had to have received at least one Covid jab.

Only four people per table were allowed in the remainder of the restaurant, in line with restrictions before the latest easing of social distancing rules. They had to leave contact details, but use of the app was not mandatory.

A man dining there said his family was just as happy even though they have to sit at different tables with a plastic partition between them.

The restaurant’s manager said bookings had increased by 10 percent on Mothers’ day.