Coronavirus: Hong Kong orders closure of bars and nightclubs while making Covid-19 app mandatory for certain venues

Measures come as city reports 80 new infections, most of them tied to a dance club cluster that has grown to 187 cases

All eateries and premises such as gyms, cinemas and mahjong parlours must display QR code for government app

Reading Time:5 minutes

Social-distancing measures have been tightened amid a spike in Covid-19 infections. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 11:53am, 24 Nov 2020Updated: 3:05pm, 25 Nov 2020

Key points:

•Bars, nightclubs and bath houses will close for seven days from Thursday

•Party room suspension, as well as the halt on live performances and dancing at catering venues, which began on Sunday, will continue

•Attendance at banquets will be capped at 40

•Covid-19 specimen bottles will be available at more than 120 post offices and major MTR stations

•Catering venues and targeted premises will be required to display QR codes for ‘Leave Home Safe’, a government Covid-19 risk-notification app

Hong Kong authorities have ordered the closure of entertainment venues such as bars and nightclubs again to curb an alarming surge of Covid-19 cases, but they will allow dance studios to continue operating despite at least 187 infections so far among patrons, staff and their contacts at similar “super-spreader” venues.

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