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Coronavirus pandemic
Hong KongHong Kong Economy

Coronavirus: mandatory use of ‘Leave Home Safe’ app could kick in as early as next week at all Hong Kong’s restaurants, bars

  • November 25 seen as possible launch date for compulsory use of ‘Leave Home Safe’ app across all 16,000 licensed restaurants, bars citywide
  • Food and drink industry hopeful the move, eliminating paper option for leaving contact details, can help boost revenue with larger bookings, less regulation

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Diners will soon be required to use the ‘Leave Home Safe’ app when visiting all Hong Kong restaurants, with paper submissions to be removed as an alternative. Photo: Felix Wong
Kathleen Magramo
Customers at all of Hong Kong’s 16,000 bars and restaurants will be required to use the government’s coronavirus contact-tracing app from as early as next week, the Post has learned, a move drawing widespread industry support for its potential to help boost business.
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A government source on Friday revealed the possible start time for mandating the “Leave Home Safe” app at those venues following negotiations between officials and catering groups, which sought an extension of the scheme to bring about lighter Covid-19 regulation and avoid the verification pitfalls of the existing system.

“The catering sector was consulted on Thursday on whether [the mandatory system] can be done as early as next Thursday. But the decision hasn’t been made yet,” the source said.

Making the app’s use compulsory will eliminate the current option for patrons to write down their contact details on paper rather than scan a QR code.

Catering sector lawmaker Tommy Cheung Yu-yan said he expected the government to bring in the new rules next Thursday at the earliest, when the current social-distancing rules were set to expire.

Cheung, who also sits on the Executive Council, and representatives of six food and beverage groups held talks with officials on Thursday in a bid to extend the scheme.

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“[Restaurant groups] with multiple branches should take note and start discussing with their corporate management to prepare for this change and how to implement it,” he said.

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