In this April 5, 2020 file photo, a woman looks at a placard displayed at the entrance of a closed live bar in the entertainment district of Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong early, after Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam ordered the temporary closure of all bars and pubs which sell mostly alcohol as part of measures to stop the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. (MAY JAMES / AFP)
HONG KONG - A bar owner in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood was jailed for a week and is the first to be convicted of violating government-mandated business closures, Radio Television Hong Kong reported, citing a court decision.
Lo Wai-shing, 23, was operating a bar in the early hours of April 8, six days into issuance of the ban. Police had also issued summonses for 64 patrons who were spotted at the venue during the raid.
Hong Kong recorded four new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday — marking the fourth straight day of single-digit increase in the city — taking the tally to 1,016
The convicted man said he kept the bar open as his employees relied on him to make a living, but Acting Principal Magistrate Ada Yim said he had risked the lives of his staff and customers by keeping the bar open. Venues such as gyms, bars and karaoke parlors have been temporarily shut amid a second wave of virus cases.
ALSO READ: HK sees single-digit rise in COVID-19 infection for 4th day
Hong Kong recorded four new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday — marking the fourth straight day of single-digit increase in the city — taking the tally to 1,016.
On Thursday morning, the city’s education secretary Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said local schools will resume classes only when they are fully prepared for this and the market has sufficient stock of protective gear.
READ MORE: 64 bar customers face fine for violating ban on gatherings
On Wednesday, he had announced the government’s decision to go ahead with Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination on April 24, as scheduled now, with a contingency plan to delay further it if the COVID-19 epidemic worsens.
