Coronavirus: Hong Kong cap on public gatherings extended, though word on Macau-mainland travel bubble expected soon

Number of people allowed to gather publicly remains at 50, though bars, theatres and other venues can operate at 80 per cent capacity from Friday

Chief Executive Carrie Lam, meanwhile, says official announcement on first long-awaited travel corridor could come as early as this week

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Social-distancing rules governing the size of public gatherings in Hong Kong are to be extended for two more weeks. Photo: May Tse

Published: 2:01pm, 30 Jun 2020Updated: 1:02pm, 20 Oct 2020

Social-distancing rules limiting public gatherings in Hong Kong to no more than 50 people will remain unchanged for at least the next two weeks, though measures at a variety of venues are set to be relaxed from Friday.

Seating capacity originally capped at 50 per cent at spots ranging from bars to concert halls to places of worship will be increased to 80 per cent, the government said on Tuesday.

The news followed city leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s morning announcement that the travel bubble to be formed with Macau and mainland China’s Guangdong province was likely to be announced this week.

Hong Kong, which has largely kept a lid on the coronavirus, on Tuesday marked its 17th day without a locally transmitted case. But two imported infections, involving a 59-year-old father and his 19-year-old son, both recently returned from the US, were recorded. The total number of infections in the city now stands at 1,205, with seven related deaths.

“It has been more than two weeks since we last had locally confirmed cases,” Lam said before her weekly cabinet meeting.

“We can relax some of the measures under the ‘suppress and lift’ strategy, but foreign experiences show resuming all activities might cause a resurgence. We have to strike a balance.”

The city’s social-distancing measures were drastically reduced on June 16, when the cap on the number of people allowed to meet in public jumped from eight to 50.