Hong Kong: Social distancing restrictions to be eased after drop in COVID-19 cases

Following a drop in coronavirus cases, authorities in Hong Kong announced that they will be relaxing social distancing norms in the city from August 28 onwards. According to reports, the city will once again allow dining at restaurants in the evening and will also no longer advise citizens to wear a mask outdoors.

Businesses to re-open

The relaxation of social distancing norms will also see the re-opening of movie theatres, beauty parlours and even some sporting venues. The social distancing norms adopted by the City of Hong Kong were some of the strictest in the world and will be extended till August 27 but will see a relaxation August 28 onwards.

Despite the announcement that measures will be eased, some restrictions and rules will still be in place in order to ensure that the deadly virus does not reappear in the city. Restaurants while being allowed to reopen, will only be allowed to seat 2 people at a table, while food and drinks at cinemas are prohibited and theatres have been asked to implement socially distanced seating. Masks will still be required in beauty parlours.

As per reports, Chief Executive Carrie Lam during a briefing on the coronavirus situation in the city stated that there had been s drop in new coronavirus cases and that it was a ‘reassuring’ sign. August 24 saw just seven new coronavirus cases in the city. Smaller business in the global financial hub have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the strict social distancing norms resulting in restaurant owners and other small business pressuring Carrie Lam and Hong Kong authorities to ease social distancing norms.

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The COVID-19 pandemic which saw its first outbreak in a wet market in Wuhan, China last year has now spread all across the world. The virus, named COVID-19 by the World Health Organisation, has infected over 23 million people worldwide with the global death toll reaching over 800,000.

As per the John Hopkins coronavirus resource centre, the United States has reported a total of at least 5.7 million positive virus cases and has a death toll of 177,279. The US currently has the highest number of reported cases in the world, making it the epicentre of the deadly virus.

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