HONG KONG - Hongkongers woke up to positive news Monday, with the government seriously considering relaxing public gathering rules from a maximum of groups of eight to groups of 12.
“Hong Kong is turning a corner - the city feels lighter and buzzier for the first time this year,” says Dominique Backhouse, managing director for Companion Communications, whose clients BaseHall launched an upscale food court Monday.
“There is a real sense here that the Hong Kong government has this under control with everyone having done their small part to make the city safe - face masks, hand sanitisers, self-quarantining measures - for the last four months.”
Previous regulations jumped from a family-sized four to more sociable eight back in May. The Food and Health Bureau will make their decision after meeting with public health experts, who have advised relaxing the limits.
There were no new Covid-19 infections on Sunday, and just one on Saturday from the cluster in a housing estate in Sha Tin, bringing statistics up to 1,109 cases and four deaths.
At the same time, the government’s alfresco sporting facilities will soon get a reopening date, including pitches and courts for football, basketball and tennis.
Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee, blogged about a “suppress and lift” strategy.
She added that while border restrictions are still necessary until stabilisation overseas, a travel bubble including Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province will be the city’s first steps towards travel freedom. There is no date however for the health code system that will make this possible.
There are some fears over the possible arrival of up to 10,000 domestic helpers as new hires and travel restrictions from the Philippines and Indonesia combine. Without necessary space to quarantine in their employers’ flats, employment agencies are hoping government centres can house those quarantining.