HK bans all-day dine-in services, whittles down 4-person gatherings to pairs

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung

The Hong Kong government announced another set of measures on July 27 to tighten social distancing and make wearing of masks a must in public as the city hits its sixth consecutive day of having over 100 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection at 145.

Hong Kong Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said in a press conference that effective July 29, dine-in services will be prohibited in restaurants for a week, while group gatherings, previously allowed to consist of four people, will now be reduced to two.

Aside from this, mask-wearing will now be mandatory in public. Those who violate such rule will be fined 5,000 HKD.

Sports venues and swimming pools will also be shut for a week.

Prior to this, Hong Kong authorities have set new requirements for sea crew, who were considered “essential personnel” and were therefore exempted from 14-day mandatory quarantine arrangements.

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After cases spiked though with a number of seafarers involved this month, Hong Kong said it will suspend crew change arrangements for vessels without a cargo operation in the special administrative region starting July 29.

Incoming sea crew should also show a negative nucleic acid test result for COVID-19 taken within 48 hours before they left for Hong Kong. They will not be allowed to board their flight if they failed to do so.

Hong Kong has 2,778 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of July 27, with 20 deaths.