ParknShop Shortens Opening Hours Amid Pandemic

One of the two largest supermarket chains in the city, ParknShop, said on Tuesday that it is shortening the

of around 240 outlets in light of the Covid outbreak.

The announcement came a day after rumours circulated online that ParknShop would close all its outlets from March 7, which the chain later dismissed.

In a social media post, the chain said the adjustment to the hours is to protect its staff and customers.

The opening hours of affected stores have been reduced by one to a couple of hours, with some outlets closing as early as 3pm.

Different stores under the chain, including ParknShop, Taste, Fusion, Express and International, are affected.

The chain said it will provide rapid antigen tests to all staff daily, who will only be allowed to return to work after testing negative for the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the government said fresh food supplies from the mainland largely returned to normal levels on Monday.

It said the amount of vegetables imported from across the border reached almost 90 percent of the average daily supply last year, and wholesale prices continued to drop.

The supply of chilled pork from the mainland was about 140 percent of the daily average figure, while the supply of chilled poultry was around 70 percent of that of a normal day.

The government said suppliers will also generally reserve for around three months' stock of frozen food. The rice trade generally stocks an amount sufficient for one month's consumption by the population.

It said it will continue to closely monitor the situation and liaise with major food suppliers as well as the mainland authorities to ensure a stable food supply.

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