Zeman Wants Bars Reopened, Restaurants Open Later

Nightlife entrepreneur Allan Zeman has called on the Hong Kong government to go further in easing anti-pandemic restrictions on the hospitality industry as the SAR's third wave of Covid-19 cases eases.

The administration announced on Tuesday that, from Friday, restaurants would be allowed to open until 9pm instead of having to close at 6pm as they have since July. Businesses including cinemas and beauty parlours will be able to reopen, although bars and gyms will stay closed.

Zeman, who chairs the Lan Kwai Fong Group, welcomed the move but said it would not be enough to allow businesses to pay their rent.

He told RTHK's Janice Wong that the government should extend the restaurant opening until 10pm to allow for two dinner sittings.

He also urged officials to allow bars to reopen with the same social distancing rules as restaurants, including limiting capacity to 50 per cent and a maximum of two customers per table.

"People need a job, they need to eat, they need to live and economically Hong Kong is dying. And if we don't do something about it, you've got 1,270 bars and pubs. They need to open. Gyms need to open, and there are ways," Zeman said.

"I believe that the government should be sitting with the leaders of [those industries] and find a way to go forward that we can safely open up, to a certain point. And if we follow those restrictions, that might be the way we have to be for the next number of years."