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Coronavirus: Hong Kong to limit public gatherings to four and shut cinemas, gyms and other social spots as cases jump by 65
- Tough new measures aimed at enforcing social distancing as the city records its largest daily rise in infections
- But the government will not ban alcohol sales for now amid fierce backlash from the industry
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People in Hong Kong will no longer be allowed to assemble in groups of more than four, and leisure venues for public gatherings will be closed, under the toughest social distancing measures the government has taken yet to combat a resurgence of coronavirus infections.
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Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor warned of a “public emergency situation” on Friday as a record 65 new infections took the total number of Covid-19 cases to 518, most of them again brought in by Hongkongers returning from overseas.
In addition to the wave of imported cases, a cluster of infections at bars in popular nightspots such as Lan Kwai Fong was causing further concern, with 19 new cases reported on Friday, all linked to staff and musicians performing at drinking venues.
But after discussion with her top advisers in the Executive Council, Lam did not move on an earlier plan to ban the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants, facing a backlash from an industry already hit hard by the public health crisis.
“The consensus is perhaps that any measures to tackle the issue of infection should not focus on a particular sector or a particular setting,” Lam told a press conference. “The crux of the matter is to reduce social interactions.”
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Pointing to the city’s growing outbreak, Lam noted the number of cases had risen threefold from 138 recorded two weeks ago. “Many of the infected people went to bars, weddings and private parties, which we categorise as social interactions,” she said.
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