Lawmaker: Lockdown for HK impractical

Making do: People leaning against and sitting on walls to have their lunch after the government banned dine-in services in Hong Kong. But a day after imposing the ban, the government said it will partially relax its dine-in ban after noting the ban’s inconvenience to many workers. — Reuters

Hong Kong: Once a coronavirus success story, Hong Kong is now facing its worst outbreak yet, and policy makers are realising how little they can do without making a bad situation worse.

New infections have broken records in nine of the last 20 days. But unlike other countries, Hong Kong has been reluctant to impose stay-at-home restrictions or close non-essential businesses.

nstead, the rules have gotten incrementally tighter, changing by the week. Public gatherings were limited to four people, then two. Dining-in was banned for dinner, then lunch. Masks were required on public transport, then all indoor public spaces, now everywhere outdoors as well.

But a day after imposing the dine-in ban, the government said it will partially relax its dine-in ban and allow breakfast and lunch services at restaurants from today, after noting the ban’s inconvenience to many workers.