Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng-Yuet-ngor meets the press before an Executive Council meeting on April 28, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced on Tuesday that public services disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak would be gradually restored from May 4.

Lam said the government would soon announce its decision on whether there is a need to extend social distancing and other restrictive measures that are currently in force and due to expire on May 7

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lam said most government employees should return to work at their offices by then, except for those who work at institutions that would remain closed, such as public schools and some public entertainment facilities. 

"When we relax these measures, if the need arises, we may need to tighten them again until there is a vaccine developed,” Lam told reporters.

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Currently, about 4,800 civil servants are working from home and another 30,000-odd are working every other day to minimize the risk of coronavirus infection.  

Some public facilities, such as outdoor sports grounds, libraries, and museums will reopen gradually, starting Monday.

When making decisions, the government has to take into account many factors, including public health, economic impacts, and public willingness to accept the measures, Lam said. 

Despite strict social distancing rules over the past three months, Hong Kong people could still enjoy a social life, albeit limited, she said. Unlike in some other places or regions, the Hong Kong government never adopted a total lockdown, nor prevented people from leaving their homes, she said. 

Lam also said the government would soon announce its decision on whether there is a need to extend social distancing and other restrictive measures that are currently in force and due to expire on May 7. 

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These measures include a mandatory 14-day home quarantine for all arrivals from the mainland, which has been in force since Feb 8, and a ban on gathering of more than four people at a time. 

Hong Kong reported zero daily new cases for four of the last eight days and hasn't seen a virus-related death since mid-March. Nearly all of the newer infections were found in people with a recent travel history.

Hong Kong’s success in controlling the virus stands in stark contrast to many other urban centers around the world, including Singapore, which has struggled to stop an outbreak from spreading through crowded migrant worker dormitories.

With Bloomberg inputs