Coronavirus: Hongkongers can join bigger religious gatherings as some social-distancing rules eased but annual Tiananmen vigil in doubt
- Limit on public gatherings, earlier relaxed to eight people, will stay in place for two more weeks
- Health chief Sophia Chan said public health was the only consideration in extending the measure
But the city’s health minister rejected accusations that extending the restriction on gatherings of more than eight people, which expires on June 4, was a political decision that in effect banned the Victoria Park candlelight vigil commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown, saying public health was the only concern.
The government also said it would expand its daily Covid-19 testing capacity from 4,500 tests per day to 7,000, although no new infections had been recorded for two days in a row. The number of confirmed infections in the city stands at 1,055, with four related deaths.
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She said health officials had yet to locate the source of infection of an elderly couple in Tsuen Wan and their five-year-old granddaughter, after receiving 2,000 negative deep throat saliva samples from over 3,100 test bottles given to nearby residents.
“After considering the public and health experts’ concerns [over the local cluster], the resumption of classes by May 27 and the time we need for widening coronavirus testing in the community, it is not the right timing to move forward,” Chan said.