HONG KONG – The Hong Kong government is mulling over the easing of social distancing measures, most of which expire on Thursday (May 7), as the city’s number of new coronavirus infections stabilises.

Speaking to the media ahead of her weekly Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam appealed to the public “to be a little bit more patient” as her team makes a decision.

She said: “I do feel very strongly, and also echoed by many people in society, that the time for some relaxation, for some lifting of the restrictions that we put on this social context, has come.”

Local reports have cited sources saying the government may reopen movie theatres and gyms this week, while other businesses such as beauty parlours could also open again.

The limit on the number of people gathering in groups could possibly be doubled to eight.

If so, the move would make Hong Kong one of the first cities in the world to reopen venues that attract large crowds.

As at Monday,  the total number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong came to 1,040 and four deaths.

In the past 16 days, no new case was recorded on nine of them.

The Health and Food Bureau had said it is too early to tell if the chain of transmission of Covid-19 has been broken even though there has not been any local spread for 15 consecutive days.

As the pandemic appears to be under control, civil servants returned to their offices on Monday, and facilities such as museums and libraries will reopen gradually later this week. 

Social distancing measures in the city – including the forced closures of gyms, nightclubs and cinemas, as well as a ban on any gathering of more than four people – which were to end on April 23  had been extended until May 7. 

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