Govt renews existing social distancing measures

The government is extending social distancing measures currently in place for another two weeks.

In a statement issued early on Thursday, the Food and Health Bureau said the government had relaxed social distancing measures last month, introducing a ‘vaccine bubble’ as part of a move to “resume normal daily lives as soon as possible”.

Under the measures introduced last month, the government said people who get vaccinated would enjoy a further easing of social distancing restrictions. It said businesses would enjoy fewer restrictions – if all staff and customers had been inoculated against Covid-19, and all customers started using the government’s LeaveHomeSafe exposure notification app.

“The implementation of the first phase of measures under the ‘vaccine bubble’ is generally in order,” the statement said.

“To allow the relevant operators of premises and the general public to get used to the relevant measures, the government will continue to maintain the existing requirements and restrictions applicable to catering business premises and scheduled premises, as well as the requirements for group gatherings and mask wearing for 14 days until May 26.”

Hong Kong reported two new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday. One was linked to a man from Dubai who contracted a mutated strain of the virus, and the other case was imported from the Philippines.