Coronavirus: Hong Kong’s fearful bar industry braces for alcohol-sales ban as alarming surge in infections continues

Most of the newly confirmed cases taking the tally to 386 had a recent history of travel, and health authorities labelled eating out in company a “high-risk” activity, as McDonald’s became the first major brand to announce a suspension of dine-in services after 6pm in all of its 244 branches from Wednesday.

The city was also facing mounting public alarm and outrage over reports of people flouting mandatory home-quarantine orders, their digital tracking wristbands still visible as they visited restaurants and shops.

More than 400 warning letters had been issued, authorities said, reminding offenders they could be jailed for six months or fined HK$25,000. So far 24 people had been sent to government isolation facilities for breaking home quarantine.

Overseas visitors made a dash to Hong Kong on Tuesday before the ban on foreign travellers became effective at midnight as the city took more drastic steps to shut out imported Covid-19 cases.

Quarantine orders had been issued to 71,000 people arriving from mainland China and 29,000 from overseas, officials said.

Since Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s Monday announcement that alcohol sales would be banned in bars and restaurants to tackle the spread of the coronavirus through social gatherings, the city’s catering industry has been up in arms.