Hong Kong florists have until Friday to decide whether they want to join Lunar New Year flower fairs
- More than 200 traders and farmers attend a briefing held by Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Sheung Wan
- They will also have to submit by Friday details of their staff members taking part in the event
Hong Kong florists would have until Friday to decide whether to accept Covid-19 restrictions imposed on them if they joined the coming Lunar New Year fairs, officials said at a briefing session on Wednesday.
Among a string of conditions, the traders will have to close their stalls during the meal hours of 1pm to 2pm, and 6pm to 7pm, to make way for clean-up and disinfection operations. The fairs will run from 9am to midnight every day.
The events will operate this year at half capacity. Lots will be drawn early next week to choose winners for stall bids. Officials said they would ensure all bidders who won multiple stalls in the previous auctions were allocated at least one slot, or up to three.
On January 8, the government announced that the week-long fairs – to be held from February 6 – would not go ahead as planned because of the pandemic, sparking public outcry and complaints from flower farmers and traders.
The government made a U-turn on Tuesday and said the fairs would go ahead at the 15 venues as originally planned but some restrictions would be imposed in light of the pandemic.
More than 200 flower traders and farmers attended the 90-minute briefing held by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Sheung Wan Sports Centre on Wednesday.
While some traders complained about the timing of the clean-up, which they claimed would cut short their operating hours, many attendees found the new arrangements acceptable.
