Gathering Ban Relaxed, Bars And Cinemas To Reopen

Hong Kong people will be allowed to go out and about in groups of up to eight from Friday, as a limit on the size of gatherings in public places is relaxed amid a dwindling number of new Covid-19 cases in the city.

Meanwhile, bars, gyms, cinemas, beauty and massage parlours and various other entertainment venues will be allowed to reopen from Friday, although some restrictions on their operations will remain in place until May 21.

Karaokes, party rooms and nightclubs will have to remain closed for an additional two weeks.

The announcement on the loosening of measures designed to stop the spread of Covid-19 came as the SAR recorded no new patients on Tuesday, with the total tally remaining at 1,040.

Since March 29, people getting together in groups of more than four in a public place, either indoors or outdoors, have been liable to a maximum fine of up to HK$25,000 and six months in prison.

Police have been handing out HK$2,000 penalty tickets to people they have accused of violating the law.

But when this new rule came in and many businesses were ordered to close, Hong Kong was seeing a surge in the number of new coronavirus cases, whereas at present, this has been reduced to a trickle.

In light of this, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday that social distancing measures are being relaxed, including the limit on gatherings.

With a new backdrop for her pandemic-related briefing reading "Hope on the Horizon", Lam said restaurants could shortly allow up to eight people to sit at the same table, up from four currently.

Other restrictions on restaurants, such as spacing tables at least 1.5 metres apart, are to remain in place for now, she said.

On bars, Lam said while they can reopen from Friday, they can only operate at 50 percent of their capacity, and there must be no live bands or any dancing.

She also confirmed an earlier report that schools will start reopening in phases from May 27.

The CE said it would be "unrealistic" for strict social distancing measures to remain in force until there are no new virus cases whatsoever, and people have been getting impatient and businesses are keen to resume operations.