Easing clamps depends on daily virus patient count next week

Easing social-distancing measures would depend on the number of coronavirus patients in the next week, the Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor says. 

This came as the SAR confirmed 27 new Covid-19 cases today, a slight increase from yesterday's daily rise. 

Lam said the city had successfully contained the virus several months ago, but showed signs of resurgence following outbreaks in the community in early-July, she told a briefing.

Authorities have identified about 3,000 more patients since July 7, when a double-digit daily increase was confirmed for the first time in months. These were mostly domestic infections, bringing the tally to 4,632. 

Deaths also jumped from 6 to 75, the average age being 82 years. 

In mid-July, the government announced more stricter social-distancing rules, including a ban on restaurant dine-ins after 6:00pm, compusory face masks in public transport, as well as indoor and outdoor public spaces, and limits on gatherings to two people. 

The daily number of infections has dropped significantly in the past weeks – below 100 patients for the 18th consecutive day, as of yesterday.  

But Lam urged the public to stay vigilant. 

“The SAR understands the existing social-distancing curbs have been the most stringent one since January, and they have affected daily lives and economic activities,'' Lam said. 

She said authorities would consider relaxing the restrictions in stages, if health officials confirmed that that infections would not rebound. 

Restaurant dine-ins after 6pm, cinemas, beauty salons, sports grounds and gyms would be prioritized for re-openings in the first stage, Lam added. 

Lam also said officials have reached out to representatives of different industries to discuss the partial resumption of business.