Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor arrives for a press briefing on Monday at the Central Government Complex, where she announced measures to restrict overseas tourist arrivals in the city to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

The government on Monday rolled out some of the most drastic measures yet it has taken to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak — including barring nonresidents from entering the city via Hong Kong International Airport.

The measures come as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has skyrocketed in the past week.

The government is also considering enacting legislation to impose a temporary ban on some 8,600 local restaurants, bars and privately run premises with liquor licenses from selling alcohol to curb the outbreak

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Hong Kong chief executive

The ban, which will come into force on Wednesday and now is set to last two weeks, is part of a four-pronged response unveiled by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Lam said stopping the entry of nonlocals will be reviewed before the two weeks are up.

At the same time, arrivals from the Chinese mainland, Macao and Taiwan will also be denied entry if they are found to have traveled abroad in the past 14 days. People arriving from Macao and Taiwan, including Hong Kong residents, will no longer be exempt from the mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival in Hong Kong, as is the case of travelers coming from the mainland.

Also effective Wednesday, Hong Kong will not accept transit passengers at the airport for two weeks.

The government will also beef up quarantine measures and health checks on all arrivals from the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom, which have been among the worst-hit regions worldwide as the pandemic worsens. Those travelers will be subject to a compulsory virus test. Since Friday, only air travelers showing symptoms of COVID-19 have been taken to virus testing centers near the airport.

Lam said the government is also considering enacting legislation to impose a temporary ban on some 8,600 local restaurants, bars and privately run premises with liquor licenses from selling alcohol. It’s not known when such a prohibition would take effect.

This follows the confirmation of clusters of infections at Lan Kwai Fong — one of the city’s most popular night spots — and from social gatherings. So far, at least 11 people have come down with the virus after having visited Lan Kwai Fong in Central, while some 11 confirmed cases have been linked to a wedding banquet at a hotel at Discovery Bay on Lantau Island on March 14.

Hong Kong has recorded a staggering number of new infections since last week, mostly imported cases, as thousands of residents, including students, have rushed home from some of the worst-affected countries and regions. The number is three and a half times the 100 cases on March 2.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Hong Kong shot up to 356 on Monday, with 39 new patients diagnosed with the disease. Most of them have been associated with overseas travel, and also included a female doctor with the Department of Health who was working at the airport last week, handling quarantine orders for travelers arriving in the city.

Discussing the mulled alcohol ban on eateries and bars, Lam said the government will discuss with the food-and-beverage sector the appropriate measures needed to protect customers. She warned that if such measures don’t prove to be effective enough, the government will, through legislation, restrict the operating hours of restaurants, despite stiff opposition from the industry to such a move.

At Monday’s news conference, Lam was visibly emotional as she made a passionate appeal to residents to help Hong Kong win the war against the pandemic. She said the reckless behavior of a few amounts to a disservice to Hong Kong, and they would be unable to face the city’s healthcare workers who have been fighting tirelessly to prevent a major outbreak in the community. 

Lam Ching-choi — a non-official member of the Executive Council — told China Daily he believes the proposed ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks would help reduce the number of people gathering at social activities, which he decried as “the most worrying phenomenon” in the current public health crisis. 

He said the measure would effectively cut down visits to bars and restaurants. Instead of closing them down, prohibiting the sale of alcohol is relatively feasible in the short term, he said, adding that he expects such a ban to be enforced within days. After the ban is enacted for a few days, he believes it would be adequate to monitor its effectiveness.

However, if such a measure fails to curb the disease, the government may have to take tougher action, such as shortening business hours for bars and restaurants, Lam Ching-choi said.

Business tycoon Allan Zeman, the founder of Lan Kwai Fong, said he understands the government’s resolve to contain the virus, but warned that banning the sale of alcohol would deal a crippling blow to the catering sector.

He pointed out that selling alcoholic drinks is the only revenue for some bars and clubs, and is also the biggest moneymaker for some restaurants. Such a step would inevitably result in massive layoffs and affect the livelihood of those in the business, many of whom are from the grassroots.

The entrepreneur cited the British government’s pledge to cover 80 percent of the salaries of workers to cushion the losses suffered by the catering industry as a result of the pandemic. He urged the Hong Kong government to follow suit, adding that only subsidies could effectively help them ride out the crisis.

Contact the writers at stushadow@chinadailyhk.com