Customers dine at a restaurant in Hong Kong on April 14, 2022. (ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

The Hong Kong government has started relaxing social distancing measures.

The first stage, which went into effect on Thursday, allows dine-in services at catering businesses and restaurants until 10 pm, four hours later than before, with the maximum allowed number of people per table increased to four, up from two.

Venues such as fitness centers, beauty parlors, massage spas, cinemas and religious sites were allowed to reopen, with seating capacity capped at 50 percent. Leisure and cultural services facilities, such as outdoor sports venues, public libraries and museums, also reopened.

Venues such as fitness centers, beauty parlors, massage spas, cinemas and religious sites were allowed to reopen, with seating capacity capped at 50 percent. Leisure and cultural services facilities, such as outdoor sports venues, public libraries and museums, also reopened

Simon Wong Kit-lung, honorary chairman of the Institute of Dining Professionals who also manages the restaurant chains under the LH Group, said his group’s restaurants are almost fully booked for the next two weeks, bringing business back to almost 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

But he cautioned that since only four people are allowed per table, traditional Chinese restaurants may not benefit as much — even though they can now host banquets for a maximum of 20 guests.

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“If the 20 people have to sit at five tables, not everyone would rush to make a booking for Chinese restaurants — even for Mother’s Day,” he said.

The hospitality sector on Thursday welcomed the relaxation of social distancing rules, saying the move hopefully will finally improve their incomes.

Meanwhile, travel agencies now can organize local tours of 30 people, provided that tourist guides and customers have three and two vaccine doses respectively. If rapid antigen test results are negative for all customers, then the total number of customers per tour can be increased to 100.

An estimated 18,000 Hong Kong residents flocked to Ocean Park Hong Kong on Thursday, the first day it was open since the park was closed because of the stringent social distancing measures.

Local visitors said that they will avoid mass gatherings when they are having meals in the park. Vaccinated overseas tourists are worried they have to wait in long lines to play game machines.

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Gianna Hsu, the chairman of Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, said it has received some 70 agencies’ applications to host local tours, but she warned that local tours alone will not revive the industry without the resumption of cross-border travel.

In the first stage of the social distancing relaxation measures, the maximum number of people permitted at group gatherings in public places will be increased from two to four, while the prohibition on gatherings at private premises involving more than two households will be canceled. Members of the public must continue to wear a mask on all public transportation and in public places.

Meanwhile, the president of the Licensed Massage Association, Chow Chun-yu, said an estimated 2,000 massage spas reopened on Thursday, and bookings are quite full for the upcoming week.

Premises such as bars and pubs, party rooms and karaoke establishments as well as public beaches will be allowed to reopen in the second stage. Dine-in service hours at catering businesses and restaurants will be extended to midnight, with the maximum number of people per table increased to eight.

In the third and last phase, the restrictions on the maximum number of customers, business and dine-in hours, as well as the limitation on the number of people per group gathering at all catering and scheduled premises, will be lifted.