Coronavirus: Hongkongers flock to beaches, swimming pools as venues reopen after four months

Most visitors say the chance to get out of the house outweighs risk of Covid-19 infection

Rules capping number of swimmers to 30 per cent of a pool’s capacity lead to queues, with beaches and museums also drawing crowds

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Beachgoers enjoy the sun and sand at Shek O after it reopened on Friday. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 6:00pm, 2 Apr 2021Updated: 6:03pm, 2 Apr 2021

Hongkongers flocked to beaches and swimming pools as they reopened after four months of social distancing-related closure on Friday, with queues also forming at other leisure venues across the city.

At around 10am on Friday, the first day of the long Easter weekend, a queue of 10 people was seen outside the entrance of the Kowloon Park Swimming Pool, where a sign read: “Full House. The maximum capacity has been reached.”

A total of only 181 people are allowed to enjoy the three pools at Kowloon Park under the reopening rules, which cap the number of swimmers at 30 per cent of a venue’s capacity.

The government announced earlier this week that it would reopen 35 public swimming pools and 15 beaches, which were closed in December following the outbreak of the city’s fourth wave of Covid-19 infections.

Swimmers are required to either leave their personal information or use the government’s “Leave Home Safe” exposure tracking app, and must conduct a body temperature check when entering the pool area, including the spectator stands.

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