During her morning press briefing on Wednesday, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam confirmed beach closures on Thursday, March 17, to further prevent social distancing violations as beaches were seen overcrowded with citizens over the weekend.
The city logged a total of 27,765 Covid-19 infections in the city last Tuesday; 15,809 of these cases came from the government's newly launched reporting platform for positive Covid-19 antigen test results. The chief executive says that Hong Kong's daily cases have plateaued but reminds the public "to be very careful and not let down our guard."
Beaches managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will be affected by the temporary closure. Currently, outdoor activities must be carried out whilst adhering to the social distancing rules, for the latest updates on various LCSD spots that will remain open or closed to the public, visit this link. The last time Hong Kong closed government beaches was in July 2020. In January, along with closures of barbecue sites, holiday camps, and other outdoor leisure facilities, authorities have already suspended lifeguard services and the use of public toilets on beaches to prevent people from visiting. However, unmasked crowds flock to beaches such as Repulse Bay over the weekend. Pictures of the overcrowded beaches went viral on social media platform Weibo, prompting complaints from netizens.
During the press briefing, the government announced that the city still aims to resume classes on April 20, opening schools for primary students first, followed by the secondary classes on April 22. Authorities encourage parents to bring children for vaccination at the appointment services for schools at the Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) or the Student Health Service Centres (SHSCs), before classes resume after the Easter holiday.
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