Covid-19: Hong Kong beaches to reopen, more people allowed together in restaurants, bars, as social-distancing rules eased, while city confirms five new cases
- Bars, eateries to be allowed to stay open until 2am, capacity limits being lifted but public gathering curbs will remain unchanged
- No new local Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, five imported infections confirmed
From Friday, six people can be seated to a restaurant table, up from four, while that limit for bars and pubs will rise from two to four.
The city government also said on Tuesday that those venues would be allowed to run on-site services until 2am, an extension from midnight that also takes effect in time for the weekend.
“The government has adopted a targeted approach for reducing the risk of the virus spreading within the community as far as practicable,” Secretary for Food and Health Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee said.
“After taking into account the latest public health risk assessment – and also ... striking a balance with economic needs, the level of acceptance of society and also the economic and job loss situation – the government decided to continue relaxing social-distancing measures.”
Capacity limits will also be lifted from 50 per cent to 75 per cent of the original settings for restaurants, bars and pubs, nightclubs, public entertainment venues such as theme parks and museums, and swimming pools.
Live performances will also be allowed in nightclubs, bars, pubs and restaurants. New mask exemption rules have also been set for patrons of those first three types of venue, stipulating they can only take off their masks while eating or drinking at a table.
Chan said people must wear a mask when not seated and were not allowed to eat or drink away from their table.