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HONG KONG: Hong Kong to reopen bars, pools and theme parks starting Friday (September 18) while relaxing COVID-19 restrictions after testing of nearly 2 million people in a Chinese government-organized program found 42 cases.
The announcement by the city’s health secretary, Sophia Chan, comes days after China’s special administrative region reopened gyms and entertainment venues and increased the number of people allowed to gather to four.
The ban on gatherings of more than four people remains in effect, as does the ban on people visiting public beaches, as authorities called for surveillance.
“We appeal to the public not to be complacent and lower their guard,” Chan said.
READ: Singapore welcomes talks with Hong Kong on resuming cross-border travel
Hong Kong has detected 4,976 cases of the coronavirus that emerged in central China late last year with 101 deaths.
The loosening of sidewalks comes after a massive testing program led by mainland China screened 1.8 million people, nearly a quarter of Hong Kong’s population, with 42 infections found, including five cases across the contact tracing.
New daily cases have fallen to low single or double digits from triple digits in July. No new local cases were reported on Tuesday.
Hong Kong’s swimming pools will have to run at half capacity, while restaurants, including pubs, will have to close before midnight.
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The city’s two theme parks, Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, will also open on Friday as will the convention centers.
Hong Kong Disneyland, majority owned by the city government and Walt Disney with a minority stake, closed on July 15 for the second time this year due to the virus, after having reopened in June.
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