Published: 10:26, April 8, 2020 | Updated: 05:06, June 6, 2023
HK extends curbs to April 23; beauty, massage places on list
By Shadow Li

A visitor stands at an empty viewing point at Victoria Peak, in Hong Kong, on April 7, 2020. (ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong will extend social-distancing measures to late April and started testing travelers arriving at its airport in a bid to stamp out a rebound in coronavirus cases brought on by residents returning home from more severely stricken areas.

The HK government on Wednesday also added beauty parlors and massage establishments to the list of venues to be closed, beginning April 10.

Starting Wednesday, all travelers arriving at the Hong Kong International Airport will be tested for the virus, according to an official statement

The government will continue until April 23 to ban public gatherings of more than four people and close venues such as gyms, bars and karaoke parlors, while requiring restaurants to run at half capacity and space out tables, according to an official statement. 

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In a press release issued early Wednesday, a spokesperson reminded those involved in catering business and managers of scheduled premises that contravening the above requirements would be a criminal offence. Offenders are subject to a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and imprisonment for six months. The government will continue to review and make timely adjustments in view of the latest developments of the disease, the spokesperson said in the press release. 

Wednesday’s move came after the city’s tally 935 cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, a jump from 387 confirmed cases a fortnight ago. Globally, by early Wednesday, the number of reported cases had exceeded 1.42 million.

Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, has warned the city will continue to import cases as long as residents keep returning from abroad. One single flight arriving from London on April 5 carried five passengers later confirmed as infected. Out of 21 new cases reported Tuesday, 12 had a history of recent travel. Since March 19, all inbound travelers have been required to self-quarantine.

READ MORE: Tougher action urged in HK against coronavirus

Starting Wednesday, all travelers arriving at the Hong Kong International Airport will be tested for the virus, according to a separate statement late Tuesday. 

Passengers will be able to return home or to a designated accommodation for mandatory quarantine while they await test results, but starting Thursday, those who fly in from the UK will only be allowed to leave the testing center close to the airport once their results come back negative.

With inputs from agencies