5 Jan 2022 2:09 pm
From Friday (Jan 7), all bars and entertainment venues will close for two weeks, and restaurants have to stop dine-in after 6pm, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced on Wednesday.
Lam said the fifth wave of the Covid-19 outbreak will arrive in a dozen hours.
"We have to seize the chance stop large scale outbreak in communities... it's a race with Omicron," she said.
From January 7, restaurants will have to stop offering dine-in after 6pm.
Type B restaurants can only seat two people at each table. Type C and D can seat four and six people, respectively.
All premises regulated under Cap. 599F Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation will have to close for two weeks, including bars, karaokes, gyms, beauty parlors, massage parlors, gaming centers, and amusement parks.
Large-scale public events will be canceled, including the Hong Kong Cyclothon.
Premises under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will close.
Lam also announced tightening travel restrictions.
From January 8 at midnight, all passenger flights from eight countries will be banned for 14 days.
They are Australia, Canada, France, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, the United States, and India.
Those who have stayed in those countries for the past 21 days will be banned from entering Hong Kong -- meaning they cannot return to the city using transit flights.
Unlike the previous waves, the government will not allow civil servants to work from home. Classes in schools will also go on.
"Oof course I would encourage private companies to allow their employees to work from home as far as possible... but we have a lot of civil servants with duties to do," Lam said.
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