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| CE Lam making the announcement at press briefing |
Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the new measures Friday
night, after the city’s health officials reported a record 65 new cases of
Covid-19 infections.
The measures, adopted following a meeting of the Executive
Council, will take effect for two weeks from Sunday, Mar 29. Offenders face up
to six months in prison, and a maximum fine of $25,000.
The 4-people rule will apply even in restaurants, which are
also required to take in only half their previous seating capacity. A maximum
of four people will be allowed to dine together, at tables that should be at
least 1.5 meters apart.
Diners will be required to wear face masks which they can
remove only while eating. Restaurants should check customers’ body temperature,
and provide them with hand sanitizers.
However, the restriction will not apply to private homes and
offices, public transport, the courts, government buildings, Legislative
Council and District Board meetings, plus weddings and funerals.\
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| Big gatherings like this one in Central will be forbidden from Sunday |
As part of the new restrictions, the government has also ordered
the closure from 6pm tomorrow, Saturday, of public places that attract large
crowds, including cinemas, gaming centers, saunas, fitness centres, party rooms
and pool halls.
The clampdown comes as the city recorded its highest-ever
daily tally of Covid-19 cases.
Most of the new cases involved residents with recent travel
history, but a significant number also came from a cluster infection in bars,
and a gathering at a party place that drew in around 100 people.
Lam said the total number of cases have shot up to 518, a
threefold increase from the 138 recorded two weeks ago.
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“Many of the infected people went to bars, weddings and
private parties, which we categorise as social interactions,” she said.
But the top official dropped her proposal to stop
restaurants and bars from selling alcohol, a move deemed insufficient by her
advisers, but sweeping by industry leaders.
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| Officials speak with the government's new slogan as backdrop |
The government unveiled a new slogan for the crisis at the
press briefing: “Stay home, keep safe.”
Also at the briefing was Health Secretary Sophia Chan, who
announced that all new arrivals will now be tested for the virus.
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Each arriving passenger will be given a bottle for specimen
sample which they can deliver straight to the testing facility at
AsiaWorld-Expo, or ask their relatives to submit, as they will have to start
their 14-day home quarantine.
Secretary for Security John Lee, meanwhile, reported that
police had caught 77 people who violated their quarantine orders to isolate.
Around 40 of the offenders were reported by the public to the police.
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