Easing Covid Curbs "best Christmas Present" For HK

The chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong group, Allan Zeman, on Thursday described the government's latest easing of Covid restrictions as the "best Christmas present for everybody" and predicted a boost in business for the entertainment sector.

Under the changes, which took effect on Thursday, people no longer have to take a rapid Covid test before entering bars, while capacity limits for banquets and at venues such as cinemas and performance facilities have also been scrapped.

Asked on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme what the effect would be on business during the Christmas holiday, Zeman said he expected an increase of "something like one-and-a-half fold", with bookings already brisk.

"It really looks very, very good," he told RTHK's Vicky Wong. "People are now going out. The fact you can drop the rapid tests, numbers are increased for banquets.

"And now there's talk of the border with China opening up. That's a big, big plus and hopefully it's early January. This would really make a big, big difference."

Announcing the changes on Tuesday, health officials explained that while the number of new Covid infections recorded has been on the rise recently, the daily tallies have stabilised and they are not going up at a dangerous rate.

But Hong Kong's other requirements, such as the vaccine pass and mask-wearing rules remain in place – as does a 12-person outdoor gathering limit.