Hong Kong to accelerate reopening from this week as cases fall

HONG Kong will bring forward reopening plans as cases drop, easing mask-wearing rules and allowing more leisure venues to reopen from this week, chief executive Carrie Lam said. 

From May 5, people no longer have to wear masks while exercising outside, while beaches and swimming pools can reopen. Then on May 19, dining-in at restaurants will be extended to midnight, while bars can stay open until 2 am, Lam told a briefing on Tuesday (May 3). 

Bars will still have limits on the number of people, with 4 people to a table. For restaurants, 8 diners can seat together, up from 4 previously, she added. 

The earlier-than-expected easing comes as infections drop to the low triple digits after reaching a peak of over 50,000 in a devastating Omicron wave that became the deadliest outbreak in the world earlier this year.

While the moves suggest Hong Kong is slowly creeping toward the end of the Covid tunnel, the financial hub is still far behind regional rivals like Singapore, where borders have been reopened and life has virtually returned to pre-pandemic standards.