Outdoor Sports Facilities Now Open For Check-in

Some government-run outdoor sports venues reopened on Tuesday – many weeks after the latest closures due to the pandemic – with users obliged to check-in at the venues either with the government's tracing app, or by handing over their contact details.

A woman surnamed Wong told RTHK that she didn't use the LeaveHomeSafe app to get into Wo Yi Hop Road Sports Ground in Kwai Chung, as she doesn’t bring her phone along with her when she goes for a run.

Staff instead asked her to note down her name, contact details and arrival time – and she wasn't too happy about it.

“I have to register with my name and contact number ... I am not that used to it. I'm quite fearful about that, but I had no choice,” she said.

But Wong said she was still glad to be able to finally run on the track at the sports ground again.

“The ground is softer here. Even if I trip and fall down, I won't feel pain.... If I fell on the hard ground out there, I would get hurt severely.”

Another man, who gave his name as Jason, said he had not downloaded the app, so he also had to have his personal information noted down. But he said he didn't mind.

“Running outside on the street is not really comfortable. There are a lot of people. And there is something, we call it ‘pollution’. I think running in the sports ground, I feel comfortable, relaxed,” he said.

Another man, who gave his name Yee, said he had downloaded the app earlier so he could do yoga at the sports ground with his friend.

“It is a government place, right? So I downloaded it in advance and came. It's very easy. We should cooperate, we should comply with that as a good citizen,” Yee said.

He added, however, that he didn't know why the venue was shut down in the first place.

“I don't think it is necessary to close it. Because as you see, how many people are there? Even in the peak time, it is still not many [people]. They still [keep] a very good distance. But if you close it, it creates a nuisance to others.”

Staff said that overall, the dozens of people arriving at the sports ground on Tuesday morning had been cooperative.

Meanwhile, at Causeway Bay Sports Ground a tennis coach also backed the move to get users to check-in with the contact-tracing app, saying it will be safer for everyone if people register before going in.

Outdoor recreational and sports facilities that reopened on Tuesday for the first time since December included tennis courts, bowling greens, cycling tracks, and badminton courts.