HONG KONG - Sixty-four people who patronized a bar in Tsim Sha Tsui face a fine of HK$2,000 ($258) each for violating a ban on public gatherings enacted late last month to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Police said fine tickets would be issued to all of them, after raiding the bar on Wednesday. It is thought to be the largest group of people to be fined for breaching the regulation since it was enacted on March 29, prohibiting more than four people from gathering at public venues.

A bar manager was also arrested and charged with violating another interim ban on the operation of bars. The 23-year-old man faces a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and six months’ imprisonment. The case will be heard at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts next Thursday.

It’s the second charge police have brought against bar operators since the government ordered bars and pubs to shut for 14 days from April 3.

A manager of an unlicensed bar in Tsim Sha Tsui was earlier charged with violating the ban. He was arrested on suspicion of trafficking in dangerous drugs and selling liquor without a license. The man was released on bail on Thursday pending his next court hearing on July 3.

Eighty-seven customers were also arrested on the spot for drinking on unlicensed premises and possession of dangerous drugs. Police said they could also be charged with violating the ban on public gatherings.

On Monday, police issued HK$2,000 fines against 13 people -- nine men and four women aged between 58 and 84 -- for violating the ban at Sha Kok Estate in Sha Tin. 

Contact the writer at jefferygu@chinadailyhk.com