HK to ease virus curbs, reopen schools in stages from May 27

HONG KONG - Hong Kong schools will reopen in stages starting from May 27, the government said on Tuesday, as the coronavirus outbreak is subsiding in the city.

First to return to class will be secondary school students from Form Three to Form Five, following the completion of the city's university entrance exam on May 25, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said at a press conference.

Primary Four to Form Two students will resume classes on June 8, while Kindergarten Three to Primary Three pupils will return to schools on June 15. Classes will not be resumed during this term for younger kindergarten children.

All non-tertiary schools have been closed since the Lunar New Year holiday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lam also announced the relaxation of some social distancing rules adopted to contain the pandemic. All the changes will be effective from Friday.

The maximum number of people gathering at public venues, including restaurants, will be raised to eight from four.

An earlier ban on the operation of seven leisure venues, including cinemas, gyms and beauty salons, will be lifted, while stringent anti-epidemic measures at those venues are required to remain in place. Bars are also allowed to resume limited businesses.

Yet other four entertainment places, including karaoke lounge and nightclubs, will remain closed, considering their relatively higher infection risk.

There was no new coronavirus case on Tuesday, which marks the 16th consecutive day of no local infections.

Earlier on Tuesday, Lam also promised more relief measures for businesses and residents hit hard by the deepest economic slump on record.

Lam's pledge to stimulate the economy with fresh relief measures came a day after official figures showed that the city's economy, battered by prolonged social unrest and the coronavirus outbreak, contracted 8.9 percent in the first quarter of 2020 while the outlook for the second quarter remained bleak. Lam said the government would consider increasing recurrent expenditures and investments.

In a press conference on Tuesday morning, Lam appealed to the Legislative Council to do its part by accelerating the deliberation on government budget and a number of bills, including those relating to infrastructure development. Lam also expressed the hope that the LegCo's House Committee could go back to work after being in a limbo for more than six months. Lam appealed to lawmakers to resolve the deadlock and pass urgent expenditure proposals.

The opposition's stonewalling tactics have prevented the LegCo's House Committee from electing a chairperson despite 16 meetings held. The impasse has put 14 bills and more than 20 subsidiary regulations on hold, including some directly impacting the livelihood of HK residents.

Li Bingcun contributed to this report

With Bloomberg inputs