Coronavirus: Hong Kong restaurants to resume dine-in at night this Friday
- Social distancing rules will be relaxed as cinemas, non-contact sports facilities and beauty parlours will also be allowed to reopen
- Not wearing a mask while exercising outside will also be allowed as city expect 20 news Covid-19 cases
As coronavirus cases decrease in the city, social distancing measures may be relaxed. (SCMP / Nora Tam)Dining in at restaurants at night in Hong Kong will be allowed starting on Friday, as well as exercising outdoors without a mask, as part of a roll-back of social distancing rules that was announced Tuesday afternoon. Cinemas, some non-contact sports facilities such as tennis courts and golf courses, and beauty parlours will also be able to resume business. Residents will also be allowed to remove their masks while exercising outdoors. The maximum number of diners at a table would remain at two.
Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, held a press conference today and announced the new measures. She said the number of daily cases had been "gradually declining" and said, "Under the new normal, it is almost not possible for us to wait until there are no more local cases before relaxing the social-distancing measures".
Health authorities expect around 20 more Covid-19 cases today, while a new infection cluster has been found at a care home for the disabled in Kwai Chung.
Hong Kong has so far recorded 4,691 coronavirus cases, with 77 related deaths.