Covid-19: Hong Kong eases curbs for visitors, but keeps cinemas and ice rinks on restricted list in late change

Hong Kong has further eased its Covid-related curbs on visitors and returning residents, allowing them as of Thursday to enter theme parks, museums and some other places of entertainment from their first day in the city.

But in a last-minute policy change, skating rinks and cinemas remain on the list of venues – including bars and restaurants – from which they remain excluded for three days.

covid 19 red code amber code — Red code and amber code. File photo: GovHK.

An updated Vaccine Pass policy announced last week no longer requires a range of premises to check patrons’ vaccine records. They include game centres, clubhouses, event venues, hair salons, religious premises, and places of “amusement” or “public entertainment,” including bowling alleys, billiards halls, theme parks and museums.

This implies that new arrivals during their first three days in the city – who are assigned with an amber Vaccine Pass QR code – are permitted to visit these venues.

They remain barred from entering places that actively check vaccine codes, such as bars, restaurants and gyms. Public ice skating rinks, cinemas and performance venues that permit food or drink are also off-limits for the first three days.

Which venue requires active Vaccine Pass checks? – click to view

Premises with active Vaccine Pass checks (Amber code holders are barred)	Premises without active Vaccine Pass checks (Amber code holders can enter)
Catering premises	Game centre
Bar/Pub	Place of amusement (eg. bowling alleys)
Bathhouse	Place of public entertainment (eg. museums)
Fitness centre	Club-house
Public skating rink	Mahjong-tin kau premises
Cinema	Event venues
Performance venue permitting food or drink	Barber shop/Hair salon
Party room	Religious premises
Beauty parlour and Massage establishment	Shopping mall
Clubs	Department store
Karaoke	Market
Sports premises	Supermarket
Swimming pool
Cruise ship

Visitors and returnees must take a series of Covid tests. For those who get a negative PCR result after the third day, the code turns blue and this removes all restrictions.

Cinemas, ice skating rinks excluded

Under Secretary for Health Libby Lee, when announcing the eased restrictions on November 10, said ice rinks which require facemasks and cinemas that prohibit food or drink could drop “active checking.”

Golden Scene cinema in Kennedy Town. File photo: Louise Delmotte/HKFP.

However, in a statement published on Wednesday night – less than two hours before the new measures kicked in – the Health Bureau backtracked and required all public skating rinks and cinemas to continue checking vaccination codes.

The bureau said it was “to facilitate differentiation by members of the public and avoid public’s confusion during actual operation.”

Since the start of the pandemic the government has gradually eased restrictions on arrivals which were once among the world’s strictest and for a time mandated three weeks of hotel quarantine. But it is under pressure from the tourism and leisure sectors to follow the example of rival visitor destinations and drop all restrictions.