Govt Services Back To Normal From Next Week

The Chief Executive, Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that the government plans to get most civil servants back in their offices next week, while public facilities such as libraries, museums and outdoor sports grounds will reopen.

Lam said people would still need to follow the temporary law limiting public gatherings to no more than four people, and while government meetings will take place as normal, large-scale events such as award ceremonies and banquets cannot be held.

The move to begin getting the city back to normal life comes as the number of daily new coronavirus cases has remained in the single digits recently, with no cases reported at all on some days.

Speaking before attending Tuesday's Executive Council meeting, Lam said the plan is to normalise the operations of the Civil Service in various stages, although she did not announce any specific timetable.

Lam said civil servants who are currently working from home will start going back to the office first, except those at government schools or venues run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).

Public services, like enquiry counters, will also reopen.

The CE said the government would implement strict safety measures.

These include intensified hygiene measures, temperature checks at building entrances, making sure everyone is wearing a face mask, and providing hand sanitiser.

The announcement comes after Hong Kong recorded no new Covid-19 cases for a second consecutive day on Monday.

A raft of social distancing measures – including mandatory 14 day quarantine for all arrivals from the mainland and the forced closure of a number of venues like bars, cinemas, and beauty parlours – are due to expire on May 7.

Lam said she will make an announcement soon as to whether or not these measures will be further extended.

She also said that protests are not a consideration when it comes to lifting the ban on gatherings of more than four people.

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