Hong Kong snooker officials say trust human behaviour rather than closing clubs in Covid-19 fight
- Snooker establishments reopen on Friday after a second closure – this time for 50 days under pandemic measures
- Only half of a club’s tables can be used and each table cannot accommodate more than four people, with all to wear face masks
Snooker officials welcomed the reopening of clubs as pandemic control measures were relaxed, but said restrictions on the number of tables are unnecessary and urged the government not to close their businesses as the only measure to combat Covid-19.
Billiard establishments and public bowling alleys, both under the government’s places of amusement licence, can get back to business from Friday. They have been closed since July 15 for a second time following a resurgence of the virus.
“We welcome the decision (allowing billiard establishments to resume business) but doubt the remaining restrictions are still necessary,” said Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council chairman Vincent Law.
“Throughout this period we have witnessed the population of Hong Kong has learned how to minimise the risk of transmissions through self-discipline and preventive habits.
“Restrictions on business operations and the closure of public venues may no longer be the most effective way to combat the virus. After all, life has to go on. We believe human behaviour, as opposed to closure of business, is what is needed to win this war against Covid-19.”
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The latest round of measures, which will last for seven days until September 10, allow a club to open only half of its tables, with each table accommodating no more than four people, who all have to wear face masks. Disinfection of equipment is also required before a new group can take over the table.
In March, all billiard establishments were ordered to close when the government first introduced control measures. They were only allowed to get back to business after 42 days. When the third wave hit Hong Kong in July, all establishments were closed for 50 days until September 3.
Last week, Marco Fu Ka-chun, Hong Kong’s top-ranked snooker player, also urged the government to relax these measures as he hadn’t practised for more than three months. Fu and other players rely heavily on clubs for their training.
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A letter from the billiard council to the Home Affairs Bureau said the suspension of billiard establishments had already brought significant financial loss to the industry, and coaches and many of these establishments may gradually go out of business, resulting in hundreds of people losing their jobs.
When the government rolls out its third round of the Anti-epidemic fund in September, the council said it should consider the scale of each establishment and not offer each a flat subsidy fund of HK$100,000, as the licence fee they pay is also in accordance with the number of tables.
