Hong Kong likely to extend coronavirus social-distancing rules for two more weeks but some outdoor recreational spots may reopen earlier, sources say

The aim of the extension was to completely cut off local transmission chains, two sources said on Friday.

Schools were also only likely to reopen after university entrance exams ended in late May.

These plans emerged as Hong Kong’s No 2 health official said there was a preliminary downward trend in coronavirus cases locally as the city recorded four new Covid-19 infections on Friday, the sixth straight day with just a single-digit increase, raising the city’s tally to 1,021.

In light of the lower figures in recent days, the government met with medical experts on Tuesday to discuss the direction of control measures but concluded that it was too early to decide on when to lift them, according to one source.