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Hong Kong third wave: public health experts split on easing social-distancing rules as city confirms 24 new Covid-19 cases

  • From Friday, restaurant dine-in service will be extended to 9pm and cinemas, beauty parlours and some sports venues can reopen
  • Origin of 10 of the latest cases could not be traced, sustaining the high percentage of local infections with unknown sources

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From Friday, Hongkongers will be able to exercise outside without having to wear a mask. Photo: Nora Tam
Daily coronavirus infections in Hong Kong rose for a second day in a row to 24 on Wednesday, as medical experts were split over whether the government should relax some social-distancing measures from Friday as planned.

All of the latest infections were locally transmitted, pushing the city’s tally to 4,734. An 81-year-old male Covid-19 patient was the latest fatality, taking the number of deaths to 79.

The city registered just nine new infections on Monday, the lowest since July 3. But the daily count reached 19 on Tuesday – including 16 locally transmitted cases – and climbed further on Wednesday.

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Ten of the new cases were untraced, sustaining the high percentage of local infections with unknown sources recently.

“The daily numbers go up and down,” said Dr Chuang Chuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch at the Centre for Health Protection. “From what we have seen in the past few weeks, sometimes the figures are higher, and sometimes the numbers are lower. We’re seeing a downward trend, even though it’s still not at a very low level yet.”

Unless there were “drastic changes” to the virus situation, the government would relax some social-distancing rules from Friday, health minister Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee said on Tuesday.

Restaurants will be permitted to offer a dine-in service until 9pm, three hours longer than the current cut-off point, while cinemas, beauty parlours and some sports venues can reopen. People will no longer be required to wear masks while exercising outdoors or when in country parks.

But other measures, such as the closure of more than 10 types of businesses such as bars and gyms, as well as the ban on public gatherings of more than two people, will be extended.

Phila Siu
Phila Siu, also known as Bobby, has been a journalist since 2009. He has reported on human rights, security, politics, and society in Hong Kong, mainland China and Southeast Asia. After nine years with the news desk, he joined Young Post in 2021 to manage its print and online revamp. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Hong Kong Baptist University and a human rights law master's degree from the University of Hong Kong.
Kathleen joined the Post as a reporter in 2019 and covers Hong Kong's economy, tourism and retail. Previously, she was an intern at Asian Private Banker. She graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a degree in politics and journalism.
Gigi Choy
Gigi Choy joined the Post as a reporter in 2019. She covered health in Hong Kong, as well as the city’s housing, land and development policies. Gigi graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in political economy.
Lilian joined the Post in 2019 as a senior reporter covering Hong Kong politics, Hong Kong-mainland issues, as well as housing and land policies. She started her career at Ming Pao in 2010 and was then a principal reporter at i-Cable News. She has won awards for her reports on a major historic relic discovery in Hong Kong, as well as vote-rigging problems in local elections.
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