In view of the latest COVID-19 situation, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today that more of its venues will be reopened on May 21 and some recreation and sports programmes will resume from June 1.

Leisure facilities to be reopened on May 21 include most of the public swimming pools (only for selected swimming pool facilities such as main pools and secondary pools), dance, activity and fitness rooms, sports climbing facilities, billiard and American pool tables, a gymnastic training hall, barbecue sites, Pui O camp site, water sports centres, sports climbing and rope course facilities at Tuen Mun Recreation & Sports Centre.

The reopened facilities can be booked via Leisure Link's Internet Booking Service, Leisure Link Booking Office of the District Leisure Services Offices, Leisure Link Booking Office of the reopened facilities and self-service kiosks from May 20. Leisure Link Booking Office of the water sports centres will resume booking services on the same day leisure facilities are reopened.

Additionally, changing rooms and shower facilities in LCSD fee-charging venues, such as sports grounds, sports centres, squash courts, tennis courts, bowling greens, and the Tuen Mun Recreation & Sports Centre, will be reopened from tomorrow.

Special measures will be adopted such as opening alternate shower cubicles or shower heads, arranging body temperature screening and stepping up regular cleaning and disinfection of shower cubicles and storage cabinets.

The LCSD noted that for refund arrangements in relation to earlier venue closures, the hirer may complete the refund application form and submit it together with the original booking permit to the reopened LCSD leisure venue or a Leisure Link Booking Office at a District Leisure Services Office.

The LCSD will also resume some recreation and sports programmes at outdoor and indoor venues and those organised at the water sports centres from June 1. These include tennis, golf, tai chi, lawn bowl, badminton, squash, table tennis, aerobics, multi-gym fitness, social dance, canoeing and windsurfing.

To reduce social contacts and the risk of infection, the number of participants for each programme will be limited to eight people.

Enrolment can be made on a first-come, first-served basis from May 25 via the internet, booking counters at the LCSD's District Leisure Services Offices and leisure venues with Leisure Link Services and self-service kiosks.

Regarding cultural venues, another 12 district libraries will partially reopen on May 21 from 1 to 8pm Mondays to Saturdays and 9am to 5pm on Sundays and public holidays.

The public libraries include Aberdeen, Chai Wan, Lockhart Road, Lai Chi Kok, Lam Tin, Ngau Chi Wan, Yau Ma Tei, Fanling, Tai Po, Tiu Keng Leng, Tsing Yi and Tung Chung Public Libraries.

The libraries will arrange admission by sessions on a first-come, first-served basis, with each session lasting about one hour. Children under age 12 will be allowed entry when accompanied by an adult.

The students' study rooms of the 12 above-mentioned public libraries and the five major libraries including Kowloon, Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun Public Libraries will resume service on the same day.

The students’ study rooms will implement the same special opening hours as the reopened libraries. Admission will be arranged by sessions with each lasting about three hours and the number of users limited.

The self-service library stations at Island East Sports Centre Sitting-out Area, Cultural Centre and Tsuen Nam Road and all book drop services of the Hong Kong Public Libraries including those at MTR Central, Kowloon Tong and Nam Cheong stations have resumed service.

The LCSD added that a few outreach music courses for adults organised by the Music Office will resume on June 1. The number of participants for each class will be limited to eight people.