HK residents have lunch at a canteen in Admiralty on Sep 8, 2020. The Hong Kong government announced that the number of people allowed to gather in a group in public will be relaxed to four on Friday, including in restaurants and some entertainment facilities. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong’s social distancing rules to curb the spread of COVID-19 will be further eased starting Friday, when four people in a group will be allowed to gather at public venues, government officials announced on Tuesday.

The city’s two iconic theme parks, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park Hong Kong, may reopen as early as Sept 18, if the local coronavirus situation continues to show a a gradual recovery

The maximum number of people allowed per table at restaurants will also go up to four starting Friday while a dine-in ban effective between 10 pm to 5 am would continue to remain in force, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said at a press conference.

“We must strike a balance. The third wave is entering two months already and we have yet to see an end to it,” Chan told reporters, adding that new infections were being reported each day, some of unknown origin.

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The city’s two iconic theme parks, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park Hong Kong, may reopen as early as Sept 18, if the local coronavirus situation continues to show a a gradual recovery, said Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah at the same press conference.

A mandatory order requiring people to wearing masks at all public places will be in force for another seven days until Sept 18, said Chan. 

Mahjong parlors, game centers and all sports venues except swimming pools will reopen on Friday, with limited operational capacity and strict infection control measures. But night clubs and karaoke lounges will continue to remain closed.

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Yau said the HKSAR government had been in touch with 11 countries since mid-June to explore the feasibility of establishing a “travel bubble”, including Japan, Thailand, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand.

Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai said the city’s public libraries and museums will also reopen to visitors next week, but Hong Kong Space Museum and Hong Kong Science Museum will continue to remain shut because larger crowds there could drive up contagion risks.