'Eateries Will Struggle To Follow New Covid Rule'

A catering sector representative said on Wednesday that it will be difficult for small restaurants to comply with a new anti-epidemic rule which requires them to arrange dedicated staff to clear tables.

Some medical experts have said the arrangement is needed to prevent cross-infections of Covid-19, but the president of the Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, Simon Wong, said there simply aren’t enough staff at small restaurants.

“Consider that some small restaurants... there are only a couple of frontline people working in the premises. They have to do a lot of work including taking orders, checking people if they use the [LeaveHomeSafe] app and record the customers who come to dine at the restaurants,” he said.

“These restaurants are in a very difficult time due to the pandemic. They have lost a lot of business. There’s no way that they can employ more people.”

The government introduced the new requirement for restaurants as it extended social distancing rules for two weeks to March 17.

It said if eateries can’t arrange dedicated staff to clear used utensils and disinfect tables, staff must clean their hands or change their gloves every time they switch to different duties.

Wong also urged the government to subsidise restaurants to buy air filters to improve ventilation after experts said bad ventilation might be the cause of an outbreak at Mr Ming's Chinese Dining in Tsim Sha Tsui.