Coronavirus: Hong Kong bar trade renews attack on proposed alcohol ban as city leader says legal work still being studied

Hong Kong’s food and drinks sector again blasted a proposed ban on alcohol sales in bars and restaurants to tackle the spread of the coronavirus, as the city’s leader said on Tuesday the government needed a few more days to study the legal work before it was enacted.

Industry representatives warned that the planned ban affecting thousands of restaurants and bars could trigger a wave of business closures and lay-offs. They said the proposal unfairly targeted the trade and called for more government support.

Speaking ahead of her weekly meeting with her advisory body the Executive Council, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor defended her controversial decision to mostly target bars.

Citing health authorities, Lam maintained that bars were the most worrying sector in the industry as about 10 infected patients had visited such premises.

“When a bar cannot sell alcohol, it can do other things as many hold restaurant licences as well,” she said.

But Lam said the government would continue to listen to different views.

“After all, our legal work will take at least a few days for in-depth study,” she said, without giving a date on when the ban would come into effect.

Hong Kong is facing an alarming surge of coronavirus infections, both imported and spread locally. The tally of confirmed cases on Tuesday stood at 386, including four fatalities in the city.

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In an attempt to guard against a wider spread of contagion, Lam on Monday announced plans to ban the sale of alcohol at 8,600 restaurants, bars and clubs holding liquor licences. But questions were raised about the effectiveness of such a move.

“When you ban bars, people might shift to convenience stores and supermarkets to buy alcohol and go out,” said Simon Wong Kit-lung, chairman of LH Group, one of Hong Kong’s biggest restaurant chains.

Wong suggested that a total shutdown of all activities for two weeks might be more appropriate.

Chin Chun-wing, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Bar and Club Association, accused the government of not respecting the industry, and demanded the ban come with pay subsidies and rent concessions.

Chin forecast that half of the 8,600 businesses the government targeted might have to shut down because of the ban.

“It’s an unfair decision. There were confirmed cases last month where large family groups dined or ate hotpot together, but the government did not ban such operations or services,” he said.

Cat Hou Chui-shan, chairwoman of Bartenders and Mixologists Union of Hong Kong, echoed those views.

“The government announced [the proposed ban] and made the whole world panic. But it doesn’t have a timeline and it hasn’t told us how it works, it’s quite confusing,” she said, while also calling for relief measures.

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said that even the cash allowances offered to eateries in a HK$30 billion anti-epidemic fund unveiled last month would not be able to delay lay-offs and closures for long if an alcohol ban was enforced.

But he believed the government would roll out more relief measures as Lam had told him she would look into how to help affected businesses. Since January, more than 600 restaurants had closed or suspended business, he added.

Lam’s proposal drew comparisons with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s order to close cafes, pubs and restaurants, except for takeaway food, from last Friday night. Australia also announced similar measures.

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A government source said officials needed to gauge the epidemic situation as well as consider local habits when deciding whether to introduce moderate or draconian measures.

“It is not easy for Hongkongers to cook every meal at home,” she said.

Eyebrows were also raised when, ahead of the city leader’s announcement, Exco member Dr Lam Ching-choi revealed officials were willing to consider closing pubs, bars and wedding banquet venues. He and all four epidemiological experts on the government’s Covid-19 advisory panel were in favour of such a move.

Lam told the Post on Tuesday that while people had also gathered without wearing masks at other venues, the ban on the sale of liquor was proposed because it could start sooner.

“Hong Kong is a free economy. The government does not have much legal grounds to close businesses. But a liquor licence is a licence, so it’s easier to regulate,” he said.

“The proposal can be considered as a stimulus to allow people to put forward more opinions. If society thinks we can accept a stricter and wider approach, I believe the government will consider it.”

Additional reporting by Natalie Wong