The Hong Kong government has tightened its restriction to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Gatherings are limited to no more than two people, closing karaoke lounges and games centers and telling most civil servants to work from home.
From Wednesday, games centers, karaoke lounges and swimming pools will close and civil servants will remain at home, except those offering emergency services, Hong Kong chief Carrie Lam told reporters. The Ocean Park theme park and Disneyland will also close, Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan said.
The government said that gyms and sports centers will remain open, but only for a maximum of two people at a time, while massage and beauty salons will remain in operation. Dine-in restaurant hours will be reduced to 10 p.m and no more than two customers per table from midnight.
So far the global financial center has managed to prevent the widespread outbreak of the disease seen in many major cities around the world, while some business owners and residents have been disappointed by the stop-start restrictions.
The recent spike in cases has also contributed to the postponement of a travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore for at least two weeks, scheduled to be launched on Nov. 22. Singapore has all but eradicated the virus and has the lowest fatality rate in the world with just 28 deaths, having once had the highest COVID-19 rates in Southeast Asia.
