Eased curbs to enrich Mother's Day joy

Sophie Hui and Jane Cheung

People will be able to enjoy a big family dinner in restaurants on Mother's Day after Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor relaxed Covid curbs earlier than expected.

Starting tomorrow, restaurants will be allowed to sit eight diners per table, while beaches, swimming pools and water parks - because Lam said she understands "people like to go swimming in hot weather" - will be reopened.

Lam said the government made the move due to the drop in infection numbers faster than expected and to respond to people's calls.

Apart from opening more sports venues, people also do not need to wear masks when they exercise outdoors, including in tennis courts, basketball courts and country parks, also from tomorrow.

But bars, nightclubs, bathhouses, party rooms, karaoke lounges, mahjong parlors and cruises will need to wait until May 19 to reopen, Lam said.

By then bars can operate until 2am, with four people allowed per table.

Also from May 19, restaurants can extend their dine-in services to midnight, while banquets can have 120 guests instead of the current 20.

Cinemas can expand their seating capacity to 85 percent, from the current 50 percent, and moviegoers with two vaccine doses can eat and drink in theaters.

Lam decided to allow restaurants to sit eight people a table so people can "enjoy a happy" Mother's Day on Sunday.

"It's just around the corner and there's a holiday following Mother's Day to celebrate the birthday of the Buddha," Lam said. "Eight people at a table [means] grandma, the mother and the grandchildren can all dine together."

Water World Ocean Park said it will reopen on May 14 and ticket sales and online reservations will be available from 5pm on Friday.

Lam reminded people to comply with the vaccine pass requirements - in which they need at least two jabs to enter premises. That requirement will become three jabs by end of the month.

Lam said the AsiaWorld-Expo community treatment facility will go on standby mode from today as the last batch of mainland medical workers leave.

Catering veteran and Institution of Dining Art honorary president Simon Wong Kit-lung said the industry is delighted about the relaxation.

He added: "Mothers would be the happiest ... If diners are split into two tables, the mood won't be so. It's happier for families to sit together and chat."

Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades president Simon Wong Ka-wo said restaurants will soon be fully booked for Sunday. Yesterday, they were about 40 percent booked, he added.

Helen Chan, deputy general manager for promotion at Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency's leasing department, said Yoho Mall in Yuen Long will launch promotions and she expects to see mall traffic and sales in May to make big jumps.

Hong Kong, meanwhile, reported 290 infections yesterday - including 37 students and eight teachers from 42 schools. Seven deaths were reported, bringing the city's overall tally to 9,112.

Among the new infections, 132 were confirmed through PCR tests and 158 through self-reported rapid tests.

The Centre for Health Protection's principal medical and health officer, Albert Au Ka-wing, said since schools had been on an extended holiday they reported the rapid test results in one go today and that made the overall number higher.

The Hospital Authority said visitation arrangements at 26 public hospitals will resume from Friday.

Each patient will be entitled to one to two visits per week. Only one registered visitor, who must be double-jabbed and have tested negative within the past 48 hours, is allowed for each session lasting an hour.

sophie.hui@singtaonewscorp.com

jane.cheung@singtaonewscorp.com