Gatherings capped at 2, restaurant dine-in to end at 10pm as COVID-19 epidemic worsens

Authorities introduced a new round of COVID-19 restrictions on Monday amid a worrying uptick in cases.

In an afternoon press conference, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that gatherings larger than two will be banned, and restaurants will not be allowed to operate dine-in services past 10pm.

Establishments deemed high risk including karaoke lounges, mahjong parlors and pools will also be shut.

The tightened policies will come into effect on Wednesday.

Lam said that a concerning proportion of infections in recent days have had no epidemiological links.

“Every case with no known source of transmission indicates that there is hidden spread [of the virus],” Lam said.

76 new cases were recorded today, including nine unlinked infections. On Sunday, the city confirmed 115 cases, the largest single-day increase since the latest outbreak started.

The government’s health advisors, Lam added, agree that there are signs of the epidemic worsening and that numbers may continue to increase.

The new restrictions are a partial return to the strict policies that were enacted in July, when the city was hit by its third COVID-19 wave. At its peak, more than 100 new cases were recorded for 12 straight days.

Lam said that beauty centers and gyms would stay open, but that there cannot be “more than two people in one group” while exercising.

Bars and nightclubs have been shut since last week, and over the weekend, authorities also announced the suspension of face-to-face classes starting this Wednesday—marking the third time that in-person learning has ceased since the epidemic began in January.

Civil servants are to begin working from home, a policy that will likely signal a new round of work-from-home arrangements as private employers take the government’s lead.

Disneyland and Ocean Park will also close their doors. (Ocean Park shut for two days last Thursday and Friday for deep-cleaning after an infected patient visited.)

The city’s fourth wave began earlier this month, with majority of the cases attributed to a ballooning cluster of infections linked to over two dozen dance venues across Hong Kong.