MORE SOCIAL-DISTANCING RULES TO BE EASED FROM TOMORROW
Dining restrictions to be relaxed and swimming pools, beaches and water playgrounds will reopen
Hong Kong will ease some social-distancing curbs ahead of schedule tomorrow, including allowing eight diners per table at restaurants, up from the current four, with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pointing to an improved coronavirus situation.
From tomorrow, residents will also be allowed to take off their masks when running or at country parks and outdoor sports venues such as basketball and tennis courts, while swimming pools, beaches and water playgrounds will be reopened.
“Taking into account that the pandemic situation is under control, I have decided to allow some earlier relaxations, especially for diners per table as Mother’s Day is coming … For some, three generations can dine together,” Lam said yesterday.
“The weather has been so good recently, it is just unreasonable to ban the public from going for a swim, and it’s also hard to run with masks in hot weather.”
The announcement came as the city reported 290 new Covid-19 cases, the second straight day infections were below 300, after falling under that level for the first time in about three months on Monday. Yesterday’s cases, which included 21 imported ones, pushed the city’s tally to 1,205,083. Health authorities also reported seven more fatalities, taking the death toll to 9,325.
Meeting the press before the weekly session of her de facto cabinet, the Executive Council, Lam yesterday also said the remaining restrictions to be eased in a second stage of relaxations were on track for May 19, including the reopening of all previously closed operations, such as bars, karaoke lounges, mahjong parlours and nightclubs and cruises.
By that stage, bars will be allowed to operate until 2am with four per table, while restaurants can extend service hours from the current 10pm to midnight. Up to 120 people will also be allowed to attend wedding banquets.
An operating capacity limit of 50 per cent for cinemas and some other premises will be raised to 85 per cent. Eating and drinking will also be allowed in cinemas.
The government earlier announced a phased easing of curbs in three stages over three months, but Lam said several indicators proved the city’s pandemic situation was “better than expected”, therefore some measures could be relaxed earlier.
Apart from the declining number of daily infections, half of the samples from sewage surveillance also returned negative results on Monday, while the other half carried a low viral load.
The positive rate for cases identified in building lockdowns was at a low of 0.2 per cent, while the virus reproductive rate, indicating transmissibility, had been under one for two weeks, Lam noted.
“The government was worried earlier that the first-phase relaxations, together with the Easter holiday and the May 1 long holiday would cause a rebound in cases. Luckily, such a situation did not happen and we can move forward with further relaxation,” she said.
Lam also said that from today, the AsiaWorld-Expo treatment facility would be placed on standby mode, while the last batch of mainland medical workers who provided support for the city would leave this week. Lam will attend a farewell ceremony for the group.
An arrangement requiring all airport arrivals to take a rapid antigen test (RAT) along with the standard polymerase chain reaction screening (PCR) was expected to start next week, a government source said. The move will mean travellers can proceed to their quarantine hotels pending their PCR results upon a negative RAT, instead of currently waiting hours at the airport.
The source explained that it took authorities some time to overhaul workflow at the airport to introduce the new measure.
Hong Kong previously eased other social-distancing rules this month. From Sunday, international travellers have been allowed to fly in, and the threshold for suspending incoming flights found to be carrying infected passengers has also been relaxed.
Aircrew members can now undergo shorter mandatory quarantine at hotels.
But there were calls to allow home quarantine for returning Hong Kong residents or some arriving visitors. Some medical experts have also called for the flight suspension arrangement to be abolished.
Meanwhile, health officials warned of a possible rebound in cases after kindergartens and secondary schools resumed in-person classes yesterday.
Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, chairman of the Medical Association’s communicable diseases advisory committee, said he was “optimistic” about the city’s Covid-19 situation, as cases continued to subside and no rebound emerged after the Easter holiday.
“If we maintain our current anti-epidemic measures, I believe that the caseloads will reach double digits before the next phase of relaxation of socialdistancing measures,” he told a radio programme.
Asked whether the flight suspension mechanism, under which routes are temporarily banned over the number of infected passengers brought in, could be lifted, Tsang said it would depend on the capacity of quarantine hotels.
“We cannot allow too many visitors to come to Hong Kong if there are not enough quarantine hotels,” he said, adding home quarantine should be the last on the list for government consideration.
Meanwhile, Ray Chui Manwai, chairman of catering industry body Institute of Dining Art, welcomed the easing of the cap on diners per table, saying it would boost restaurant businesses on the coming Mother’s Day weekend by 30 per cent.
“The further relaxation will send a positive message to society and stimulate consumer sentiment,” he said. “People will feel safe and be in the mood to go out and enjoy Mother’s Day with their families.”
I believe that the caseloads will reach double digits before the next phase of relaxation DR JOSEPH TSANG, HEALTH EXPERT
With the number of daily Covid-19 infections continuing to fall, the government’s plan to relax social-distancing restrictions in three stages may seem woefully slow to many simply tired of the prolonged pandemic. But the truth is that the fifth wave is still lingering in the city and hundreds of new cases are reported each day. There is every reason to remain cautious as we seek to return to our normal lives.
In a pleasant surprise, the government yesterday announced that some of the relaxations slated for the second stage would be brought forward. Starting from tomorrow, swimming pools and beaches will reopen. Masks will no longer be required during outdoor exercise and hiking. Restaurants will also be allowed to seat up to eight customers per table to accommodate Mother’s Day celebrations this month.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said she had taken into account the stabilising situation regarding infections and wishes of the public. She agreed people would continue to be frustrated if they were not allowed entry to swimming pools and had to carry on wearing masks while exercising in the heat.
The concessions may have been welcomed by those yearning for a return to outdoor and water sports, but they also raise questions whether the original timetable was too conservative. Just a week ago, Lam rejected calls to advance some of the relaxations, and her change of heart shows the three-stage approach is not cast in stone. The original decision stemmed from an assessment based on the circumstances in March. There is no reason why it cannot be reviewed, taking into account the current situation.
Starting from May 19, bars may resume business, with four customers per table and operate until 2am. Restaurants can stay open until midnight and host banquets of up to 120 people. The capacity of cinemas will be raised to 85 per cent. Other premises left out of the first stage, such as bathhouses, karaokes and mahjong parlours, may also reopen. It will be not surprising if calls grow louder to extend the relaxations earlier to these businesses.
Equally strong is the clamour for the return of cross-border and international travel. So far, neither the outgoing nor the incoming administration has given a concrete timetable on when and how to resume normal travel. As infection figures continue to fall, the pressure for fewer restrictions will only grow.
Opening up further will inevitably involve the risk of more infections, especially with the easing of travel bans on non-Hong Kong residents this month. However, as with other relaxations, the government must closely assess the health risks and public needs when seeking to return to pre-Covid life.