Social Distancing Rules To Be Relaxed After CNY: CE

Chief Executive Carrie Lam says some businesses that were ordered to close as part of social distancing will be allowed to reopen after the Lunar New Year holiday, now that the number of new coronavirus cases is finally starting to come down.

She did not say which venues will reopen, but speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Lam said schools will also be allowed to gradually resume face-to-face classes.

The CE added that there won't be any ambush lockdowns, or "restriction-testing declarations" (RTD), on the eve of the Lunar New Year and during the holiday.

Lam noted the Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung had earlier said that such unannounced operations will go on until Wednesday, which is the second last day of this lunar year, but she said that may no longer be necessary now.

"Whether we will is still a matter of whether we need to, because every day the public health colleagues have to work with the home affairs colleagues to see whether there is a candidate for that sort of restriction-testing operation," she explained.

"As things now stand, barring unforeseeable circumstances, we will not do any RTD operations during the Chinese New Year holiday."

Still, Lam reminded people not to attend social gatherings during the holiday period.