Dear Staff and Students,
We would like to share the following message on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) from Department of Health about Government continues to relax social distancing measures under Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance in a gradual and orderly manner and Specifications under Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation to be gazetted.
Please also click to view the email attachments: English / Chinese
Health, Safety and Environment Office
Updated information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Government continues to relax social distancing measures under Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance in a gradual and orderly manner and Specifications under Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation to be gazetted
After taking into account the latest public health risk assessment and having struck a balance with economic needs and level of acceptance of the society, the Government decided to continue relaxing the social distancing measures under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance in a gradual and orderly manner.
Starting from this Friday (October 30), the dine-in hours of catering business premises (including bars and pubs) will be extended to end at 1.59 am (i.e. such premises can provide dine-in service from 0.00am to 1.59am on October 30), the number of persons that may be seated together at one table will be increased from four to six for catering business premises (except bars or pubs) and from two to four for bars or pubs and clubs or nightclubs. Meanwhile, the Government decided to impose a restriction that members of public must only consume food or drink at the table (but not any other places) within bars or pubs and clubs or nightclubs. In other words, a person must not consume food or drink and must wear a mask when he or she is away from the table. Moreover, subject to appropriate infection prevention and control measures being put in place, live performances and dancing activities will be allowed to be conducted in catering business premises and clubs or nightclubs. Members of the public also are not required to wear masks when doing exercise in indoor sports premises and public skating rinks. The total number of people allowed in catering business premises (including bars and pubs), places of public entertainment (including theme parks, performance venues, etc.), clubs or nightclubs, and swimming pools will be increased to 75 per cent of the normal seating capacity or maximum capacity of the premises. The measures will take effect at 0.00am on October 30 for a period of seven days till November 5.
In addition, in view of the developments of the COVID-19 epidemic situation worldwide and in Hong Kong, the Government will gazette today (October 27) the latest specifications to include Belgium as a specified place under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) starting from November 3 to more effectively combat the epidemic. The Government has earlier introduced Cap. 599H to impose testing and quarantine conditions on travellers coming to Hong Kong from very high-risk places to reduce the health risk they may bring to Hong Kong. The Secretary for Food and Health (SFH) has previously published in the Gazette specifications on the relevant measures applicable to 13 specified places (i.e. Bangladesh, Ethiopia, France, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) and adjusted the relevant conditions having regard to the circumstances on the ground since the implementation of the regulation.Taking into account the latest public health risk assessment, and the changes and developments of the epidemic situation, the SFH will publish in the Gazette new specifications to maintain the conditions imposed and to include Belgium as specified places with effect from November 3 until further notice.
Co-operation and self-discipline of members of the public are the keys to the effectiveness of social distancing measures in preventing the spread of the disease in the community. Only with the co-operation of society as a whole can the Government continue to allow resumption of social and economic activities in a gradual and orderly manner. Therefore, the public's concerted efforts in fighting the epidemic and compliance with requirements and restrictions applicable to individual premises are of utmost importance.
The Government will continue to closely monitor the development of the epidemic situation and review and adjust the various measures in place from time to time while striking a balance among disease prevention and control, economic needs and level of acceptance of the society, and will announce the latest social distancing measures in a timely manner.
For more details, please refer to the press release and the Annex:
Government continues to relax social distancing measures under Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance in a gradual and orderly manner
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202010/27/P2020102700873.htm?fontSize=1
Specifications under Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation to be gazetted
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202010/27/P2020102700505.htm?fontSize=1
Please visit our Facebook and Thematic Website (https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/index.html) regularly for further information and updates.
We would like to solicit your support to disseminate the information to your colleagues, work associates and/or business partners so that they could adopt proper preventive measures. Thank you very much for your support.
Department of Health
******************************************
敬啟者：
2019冠狀病毒病的最新資訊
政府繼續逐步有序放寬《預防及控制疾病條例》下的社交距離措施 及 政府就《預防及控制疾病（規管跨境交通工具及到港者）規例》下的指明刊憲
考慮到最新的公共衞生風險評估，並在平衡了經濟需要以及社會接受程度後，政府決定繼續逐步有序放寬《預防及控制疾病條例》下的社交距離措施。
由本星期五（十月三十日）起，餐飲業務處所（包括酒吧及酒館）的堂食時間將延長至凌晨一時五十九分（即該等處所可於十月三十日凌晨零時至凌晨一時五十九分期間提供堂食服務），餐飲業務處所（除酒吧或酒館外）內可同坐一桌的人數亦會由四人增加至六人，酒吧或酒館及夜店或夜總會内可同坐一桌的人數則由二人增加至四人。同時，政府決定限制市民在酒吧或酒館及夜店或夜總會內，只可於餐桌而非處所內的其他地方飲食，亦即離開餐桌時不得飲食亦必須佩戴口罩。在採取適當預防及控制感染措施的前提下，餐飲業務處所及夜店或夜總會可進行現場表演及跳舞活動，市民在室內體育處所及公眾溜冰場進行運動時亦可不佩戴口罩。餐飲業務處所（包括酒吧及酒館）、公眾娛樂場所（包括主題公園、表演場地等）、夜店或夜總會及泳池等表列處所的人數上限將提升至通常座位數目／人數上限的75%。 這些措施將由十月三十日零時零分起生效，為期七天，直至十一月五日。
另外，鑑於全球以及本港2019冠狀病毒病的疫情發展，政府今日（十月二十七日）會就《預防及控制疾病（規管跨境交通工具及到港者）規例》（第599H章）的最新指明刊憲，由十一月三日起將比利時加入指明地區，以更有效應對疫情。 政府早前訂立第599H章，就從極高風險地區到港人士實施檢測及檢疫條件，以減低他們為香港帶來的衞生風險。食物及衞生局局長已在較早時候刊憲指明有關措施適用於13個指明地區（即孟加拉、埃塞俄比亞、法國、印度、印尼、哈薩克斯坦、尼泊爾、巴基斯坦、菲律賓、俄羅斯、南非、英國及美國），並因應規例實施以來的實際情況調節相關條件。考慮到最新的公共衞生風險評估，以及疫情的變化和發展，食物及衞生局局長會刊憲維持已實施的條件，並將比利時加入指明地區，生效日期為十一月三日，並維持有效直至另行通知。
社交距離措施能否有效防止病毒在社區傳播有賴市民的配合和自律。只有在社會整體同心合作下，政府才能繼續逐步和有序地恢復社交及經濟活動。因此，市民同心抗疫、致力遵守適用於個別處所的規定與限制尤為重要。
政府會繼續密切留意疫情發展，不時檢討及調節已實施的相關措施，在疫情防控、經濟需要和社會接受程度之間取得平衡，並適時公布最新的社交距離措施。
詳情請參閱有關新聞公報及附件：
政府繼續逐步有序放寬《預防及控制疾病條例》下的社交距離措施
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202010/27/P2020102700477.htm
政府就《預防及控制疾病（規管跨境交通工具及到港者）規例》下的指明刊憲
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202010/27/P2020102700502.htm?fontSize=1
請定期留意我們的Facebook及專題網站（https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/chi/index.html），以獲取更多及更新的資訊。
希望你可以將有關資訊與你的同事、合作者及／或業務伙伴分享，讓他們都能採取合適的預防措施。非常感謝你的支持。
衞生署
