NEWS
HONG KONG TO REOPEN PUBS AND OTHER NIGHTLIFE VENUES ONLY FOR THE VACCINATED
By Siulan Law Mathews DipWSET
27-4-2021
Credit: Kirk Lai/Unsplash
Hong Kong government will ease social-distancing restrictions starting Thursday by allowing bars, nightclubs and karaoke to re-open and operate past midnight only for vaccinated residents.
Nightlife venues whose staff have had received at least a first vaccine dose can reopen from Thursday, Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan said in a press conference toady.
Patrons also have to have received at least the first doses, they will also need to sign in using Hong Kong’s LeaveHomeSafe app.
The new rules will allow bars and nightclubs to remain open until 2 a.m. Tables will be limited to just two people, with four people allowed in karaoke rooms.
The government is also studying a new mobile app venues can use to identify customers’ vaccination status, Chan said.
“This vaccine bubble is a very important public health measure,” Chan said. “We can have a safe relaxation. But on the other hand, we can also mitigate the risk associated with the relaxation.”
Restaurants will also be allowed to relax table limits and operating hours if staff are vaccinated, said Chan, but only in designated “zones” for inoculated customers.
Eateries whose staff have all received their first vaccine doses will be allowed to extend their dine-in hours to 12 a.m. and have up to six customers per table in the designated zones.
Measures will be further relaxed for restaurants whose staff have had both vaccine doses and a waiting period of at least 14 days. These eateries can operate until 2 a.m. and allow up to eight diners per table in designated zones.
For restaurants whose staff have not be vaccinated, depending on whether they take COVID tests every two weeks, the maximum hours they can stay opened is until 10 p.m. with maximum 4 customers per table.
While vaccine supply is abundant in Hong Kong, only about 11 percent of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose, amid public distrust of the government and concerns about the efficacy of Chinese vaccines.
The low inoculation rates prompted the government to expand access to all adults and come up with measures favouring the inoculated to encourage more people to get the jabs.
Pubs in Hong Kong have been ordered to shut since November but some have managed to operate until 10 p.m. by getting a licence to serve food, while nightclubs and karaoke have stayed closed.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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