The Government announced today (October 18) that the Chief Executive in Council has approved the amendments to the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G) in order to raise the maximum number of persons allowed in group gatherings in public places from four to 12. The amendments, which will be subject to the negative vetting by the Legislative Council, will come into effect on October 20. This serves to align with the effective cycle (i.e. from October 20 to November 2) during which the social distancing measures will be suitably relaxed as earlier announced by the Government.
 
      The epidemic situation in Hong Kong has been stable so far since it subsided from the peak in early September.  Although the number of new cases did not decline further but hovers around some 5 000 per day with a slight increase recently due to the emergence of new mutant strains of potentially higher transmissibility, the overall figures of hospitalised patients, severe cases and deaths remain at a stable level. The public healthcare system can maintain the majority of its normal services while handling COVID-19 in-patient cases. Under the principles of science-based and targeted anti-epidemic measures, proper management of risks and citizen-focused facilitation, the Government has taken into account relevant data analysis and decided to suitably relax social distancing measures in the next 14-day cycle.
 
      In all, measures to be suitably relaxed with effect from October 20 include:
 
(1) Live performance and dancing activity will be allowed in catering premises, bars/pubs, clubs/nightclubs, cinemas, museums, as well as meeting rooms/function rooms in club-houses and hotels or guesthouses, on the premise that relevant performers must conduct regular tests (i.e. two polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid (PCR) tests in every seven days, and a rapid antigen test (RAT) on the same day before entering the premises for performance or rehearsal), wear masks as far as practicable, and keep an adequate distance from the audience or patrons (or with effective partition). Participants of dancing activity must wear masks while they are dancing;

(2) Eating and drinking are allowed in outdoor areas of theme parks; and

(3) The maximum number of persons allowed in group gatherings in public places will be relaxed to 12.
    
      Other social distancing measures will remain unchanged, including the requirement for participants in banquets as well as patrons of bars/pubs and clubs/nightclubs to undergo RAT; requirements related to the use of "LeaveHomeSafe" and the Vaccine Pass, and restrictions for holders of Red Code/Amber Code in entering relevant premises; as well as mask-wearing for passengers on public transport carriers and in specified public places.
 
      As the epidemic continues to evolve, the Government will remain vigilant in monitoring the latest epidemic trends and developments, including immigration control and social distancing measures which have been relaxed, overseas epidemic situation and imported cases involving new mutant strains, and review the feasibility of further adjustment to social distancing measures in every 14-day cycle ahead. This aims to resume the livelihood of citizens in an orderly manner while upholding public health and avoiding an epidemic rebound.
 
     Specific measures (see details of the restrictions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) in Annex 1) to be in force during the period from October 20 to November 2 include:
 
(I) Catering business
 
(1) From 0.00am to 4.59am every day, save for specific premises (see Annex 2), a person responsible for carrying on a catering business must continue to cease selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises of the business, and close any premises or part of the premises (whichever is applicable) on which food or drink is sold or supplied by the business for consumption on the premises. The premises concerned may still sell or supply food and/or drink for takeaway services and deliveries. A person responsible for carrying on a catering business is also required to put up a notice at the entrance to the catering premises to remind patrons that food or drink should not be consumed in areas adjacent to the catering premises. All patrons who enter the catering premises for attending banquets or enter the bar/pub zone therein must present proof of a negative RAT result obtained within 24 hours or a negative PCR test result obtained within 48 hours. Otherwise, they should be denied entry. The maximum number of persons per table for catering premises will be 12, and banquet activities with no more than 240 persons each will be allowed.
 
(2) Bars/pubs may open every day from 5am to 1.59am of the subsequent day with a maximum number of 6 persons per table and the total number of patrons capped at 75 per cent of their capacity. All patrons of bars/pubs must continue to present proof of a negative RAT result obtained within 24 hours or a negative PCR test result obtained within 48 hours before entering the relevant premises. Otherwise, they should be denied entry.
 
(3) Live performance and dancing activity will be allowed in catering premises and bars/pubs, on the premise that relevant performers must conduct regular tests (i.e. two PCR tests in every seven days, and an RAT on the same day before entering the premises for performance or rehearsal), wear masks as far as practicable, and keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres from the audience or patrons (or with effective partition). Performers and the audience or patrons should not mingle on the premises. Participants of dancing activity must wear masks while they are dancing.
 
(4) Other requirements and restrictions on catering premises and bars/pubs will remain in force, including that all patrons, when they are away from the table, must not consume food or drink and must wear a mask, and they must scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR code using the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile application on their mobile phones/other mobile devices before entering the premises (excluding persons who only order takeaway). Operators of catering premises and bars/pubs are required to use the latest "QR Code Verification Scanner" mobile application provided by the Government to scan the QR code of a patron's vaccination record, medical exemption certificate or recovery record.
 
(II) Scheduled premises
 
(5) For swimming pools, sports premises, fitness centres, beauty parlours and massage establishments, places of public entertainment, places of amusement, amusement game centres, event premises, religious premises, barber shops/hair salons, bathhouses, party rooms, clubs/nightclubs, karaoke establishments, mahjong-tin kau premises and cruise ships, managers must comply with the relevant restrictions under Cap. 599F. In particular, the number of persons per group will be capped at 12 in general. All staff members involved in the operation of scheduled premises must conduct an RAT once every three days before entering the premises. The maximum number of persons per table for clubs/nightclubs is 6, and their patrons should continue to be denied entry unless they can present proof of a negative RAT result obtained within 24 hours or a negative PCR test result obtained within 48 hours before entering the relevant premises. Staff members and patrons alike must wear a mask at all times save for exempted circumstances. Users are allowed not to wear masks when they are exercising in sports premises as well as fitness centres which meet the requirement on air change.
 
(6) Live performance and dancing activity will be allowed in clubs/nightclubs, cinemas, museums, as well as meeting rooms/function rooms in club-houses and hotels or guesthouses, on the premise that relevant performers must conduct regular tests (i.e. two PCR tests in every seven days, and an RAT on the same day before entering the premises for performance or rehearsal), wear masks as far as practicable, and keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres from the audience or patrons (or with effective partition). Performers and the audience or patrons should not mingle on the premises. Participants of dancing activity must wear masks while they are dancing.
 
(7) For club-houses and hotels or guesthouses, managers must continue to comply with the relevant restrictions under Cap. 599F, and the catering premises, bars/pubs and scheduled premises therein must comply with all applicable requirements.
 
(8) For shopping malls, department stores, supermarkets and markets, the manager/person-in-charge must continue to comply with the relevant restrictions under Cap. 599F, including fulfilling the relevant requirements on use of "LeaveHomeSafe" and the Vaccine Pass under "passive checking".
 
(9) The restriction on the number of persons allowed in premises such as cinemas, performance venues, museums, event premises and religious premises etc. will remain at 85 per cent of their capacity. Patrons may eat and drink in cinema houses or outdoor areas of theme parks.
 
(III) Mask-wearing requirement
 
(10) The mandatory mask-wearing requirement under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I) will be extended. A person must wear a mask all the time when the person is boarding or on board a public transport carrier, is entering or present in an MTR paid area, or is entering or present in a specified public place. Persons are allowed not to wear masks if they are present in outdoor public places in country parks and special areas as defined in section 2 of the Country Parks Ordinance (Cap. 208), or are conducting strenuous physical activity (e.g. exercising or jogging) in outdoor public places.
 
(11) Under Cap. 599I, if a person does not wear a mask in accordance with the requirement, an authorised person may deny that person from boarding a public transport carrier or entering the area concerned, as well as require that person to wear a mask and disembark from the carrier or leave the said area. A person in contravention of the relevant provision commits an offence and the maximum penalty is a fine at level 3 ($10,000). Authorised public officers may issue fixed penalty notices to persons who do not wear a mask in accordance with the requirement and such persons may discharge liability for the offence by paying a fixed penalty at $5,000.
 
(IV) Group gatherings
 
(12) Unless exempted, group gatherings of more than 12 persons in public places will be prohibited. The requirement is also applicable to group gatherings in catering premises, bars/pubs and scheduled premises regulated under Cap. 599F in which the relevant requirements or restrictions are not complied with.
 
(13) Subject to relevant requirements, local group tours with no more than 30 persons may continue to be conducted. The relevant requirements include (i) relevant staff have received three doses of vaccine, and conducted an RAT on the same day before the commencement of local group tour activities, and (ii) all tour participants have fulfilled the prevailing Vaccine Pass requirements. If all tour participants have conducted an RAT on the same day of the tour before the commencement of local group tour activities, the relevant restriction on the number of participants will be relaxed to 100 persons. The Chief Executive in Council has also approved technical amendments on the definitions of relevant activities.
 
(14) Any person who participates in a prohibited group gathering; organises a prohibited group gathering; owns, controls or operates the place of such a gathering; and knowingly allows the taking place of such a gathering commits an offence under Cap. 599G. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months. Persons who participate in a prohibited group gathering may be issued fixed penalty notices and they may discharge liability for the offence by paying a fixed penalty at $5,000.

     A Government spokesman said, "The Government will continue to adopt a prudent and stable approach in the orderly relaxation of various anti-epidemic measures when the epidemic situation stabilises, so as to avoid backtracking along the path to normalcy. As the weather becomes cooler in Hong Kong, we urge citizens to receive COVID-19 vaccine and seasonal influenza vaccine as early as practicable to protect the health of themselves and their family members."

Ends/Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Issued at HKT 22:31

NNNN