Social distancing to be extended

January 19, 2021

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:

In light of the latest COVID-19 pandemic situation, it is quite obvious that there is no room yet for us to relax the social distancing measures that have been put in place. So I have already implied that they will be extended, but I will leave the Secretary for Food & Health to announce the exact measures and the duration of this round of extension of the social distancing measures.

But at the same time, I fully understand the hardship on the various business sectors, especially those that have been required to close for more than two months now. I have said - last Tuesday I said it here -  and I repeated it just now that I have asked my bureaus and departments to sit down and discuss with the various sectors on whether we could find more sophisticated means to enhance infection control and contact tracing of the staff and of the customers so that there could be a possibility for some resumption of business in due course.

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said the current social distancing measures will be extended due to the latest COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, Mrs Lam said: “It is quite obvious that there is no room yet for us to relax the social distancing measures that have been put in place.

“So I have already implied that they will be extended, but I will leave the Secretary for Food & Health to announce the exact measures and the duration of this round of extension of the social distancing measures.

“But at the same time, I fully understand the hardship on the various business sectors, especially those that have been required to close for more than two months now.

“I have said - last Tuesday I said it here - and I repeated it just now that I have asked my bureaus and departments to sit down and discuss with the various sectors on whether we could find more sophisticated means to enhance infection control and contact tracing of the staff and of the customers so that there could be a possibility for some resumption of business in due course.”