HONG Kong has a very strict social distancing policy. This includes a ban on eating in restaurants and a ban on gathering more than 2 people in public places.
"Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung described the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong as 'very worrying', RTHK reported, Monday (27/7/2020).
Officials also announced that they would increase the number of tests in hard-hit areas such as Tsz Wan Shan and include vulnerable groups such as nursing home residents.
Cheung announced on Monday that the new restrictions will be enforced from Wednesday for 7 days, as there have been hundreds of new patients in recent days.
The new measures include restaurants that can only provide takeaway services. Also, the ban on meetings of more than 2 people, has been tightened from 4 people at this time. This includes the obligation to use masks in all public places, both indoors and outdoors. Meanwhile, the sports venue and swimming pool are temporarily closed.
"The exception to the rules for public meetings will apply to those who are in the same household," wrote RTHK.
Cheung also called on company owners to allow their employees to work from home, and asked all Hong Kongers to avoid unnecessary public gatherings.
"This is like a three-way tug of war, between protecting public health on the one hand; economic impact; and finally the other side of the equation, of course, is public acceptance, "Cheung said.
Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan said they would expand testing as more local cases with unknown sources of transmission were being reported.
Regarding regulations making face masks mandatory in outdoor places, Interior Minister Caspar Tsui said, saying only those with reasonable reasons were exempted from the rule. Examples of such plausible reasons are eating and drinking and taking medicine. Smoking will not be one of the acceptable reasons. (source: RTHK)
