Coronavirus: Hong Kong’s bars and restaurants unfairly punished in Covid-19 fight, leading nightlife tycoon says
- Allan Zeman claims businesses are paying price for customers who refuse to comply with anti-epidemic measures
- Government should think about issuing warnings before forcing places to close, he says
Urging authorities to be more lenient, Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, said businesses should be warned before they are penalised and forced to close for 14 days.
“Fourteen days for many SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] is a killer. They can’t afford it, especially in these times,” said the businessman, who touched on the issue during an interview in which he discussed his Legislative Council election bid with the Post.
The 72-year-old will contest the Election Committee constituency against 50 others to vie for 40 seats on December 19.
As part of its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the government has made it mandatory to require customers to either sign a health declaration form or log their attendance with the “Leave Home Safe” contact-tracing app.