A woman wears a face mask as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 disease as she visits a cargo dock dubbed ‘Instagram Pier’ in Hong Kong on April 21, 2020. (ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong recorded no new coronavirus cases on Monday for the second day in a row, with the total tally remaining unchanged at 1,037. 

Including Monday, no case was reported in four out of the past eight days, prompting some health experts and political figures to call for easing of social distancing rules and travel restrictions. 

The Hospital Authority said 15 patients had been discharged from hospitals in the past 24 hours, taking the city’s total number of recoveries from COVID-19 to 786

This is the second time the city has seen cases dropping to zero two days in a row since the COVID-19 outbreak hit the city in late January. No new infection reported back to back last was on Jan 27 and 28. Besides, the city also reported no locally-transmitted infection for eight consecutive days.

The Hospital Authority said 15 patients had been discharged from hospitals in the past 24 hours, taking the city’s total number of recoveries from COVID-19 to 786.

Leung Chi-chiu, chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable diseases, said the declining number of fresh infections showed that measures to contain local transmission from imported cases had produced results. 

He suggested the government consider easing social distancing rules in May, while continuing to exercise caution with high-risk locations such as elderly homes.

Ann Chiang Lai-wan, chairwoman of Legislative Council’s health services panel, said the order to close leisure venues other than bars and karaoke lounges could be lifted. She also suggested the ceiling on the allowable number of people at gatherings be raised from four to six or eight.

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A current government ban on gatherings of more than four people, and an order to keep some designated leisure venues closed will expire on May 7, with the option of a 14-day extension.

Besides, experts also proposed exemptions for certain mainland arrivals. Currently, all mainland arrivals are required to comply with the 14-day mandatory quarantine arrangement. This policy is also set to expire on May 7 unless the government extends it.

Ho Pak-leung, a top microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong, advised authorities to exempt mainland arrivals from the two-week quarantine if they test negative for the virus and haven’t visited any “high risk” places in the past month.

Leung said authorities may consider easing quarantine requirements for travelers from low-risk mainland locations first while requiring them to report travel history before entering Hong Kong.

Government advisor Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung said if the government decides to extend the quarantine rules, it should exempt business travelers making frequent cross-border commute.

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The neighboring city of Shenzhen also requires inbound travelers to be quarantined for 14 days. Lam said he would talk to Shenzhen authorities to urge a two-way exemption.

Chiang said people with cross-border businesses or residence permits on both sides of the border should be exempted from mandatory quarantine.