Govt Threatens Tighter Rules Over Covid Breaches

The government could tighten social distancing measures again if a lot of people fail to comply with the rules, Health Secretary Sophia Chan warned on Monday, as she expressed concern about an outbreak at a hotel on Lantau.

On an RTHK programme, Chan also noted that many people had gathered in groups to celebrate Halloween at the weekend, even though Hong Kong is still seeing coronavirus infections from unknown sources.

She said officials have been carrying out checks and prosecuting those suspected of breaking social distancing rules.

“I hope people have self-discipline. I understand people would like to relax as the pandemic has lasted for a long time. But large crowds should be avoided for the overall coronavirus situation in Hong Kong,” she said.

Rules were relaxed on Friday last week, with bars and restaurants now allowed to open until 2am. They can also operate at greater capacity.

But Chan said the authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

“If the coronavirus situation changes and there are a lot of violations of the social distancing rules, we would not rule out tightening these measures,” she said.

On Sunday, the Centre for Health Protection reported seven new Covid-19 cases in the SAR.

Preliminary tests on three more people came back positive, including a woman and a man who had stayed at the Seaview Holiday Resort in Silvermine Bay with several others last month.