HONG KONG – Hong Kong beaches managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will be closed from tomorrow, as the authorities are urging people to stay at home as much as possible.
At her regular COVID-19 briefing today, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said data from the Octopus Card company suggests that people’s movements around the city have increased recently.
She said authorities have noticed that more people have been going to the beach since the weather turned warmer, adding that some don't wear facemasks.
“The LCSD can only strengthen its management by cordoning off the beaches,” Lam said, noting that this is something that has been done before during the pandemic.
According to its official website, the LCSD manages 42 gazetted public beaches in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
“We are reluctant to take such a measure as there are some people who will go there for a walk, but we have seen people flocking to the beaches. We must take appropriate action to protect the system and ensure the safety of the people,” she said.
“This is not the time for relaxation, this is not the time of being complacent that Hong Kong’s epidemic situation is going to improve significantly in the short term.”
The chief executive also said that two new elderly care homes with a total of 200 beds are to be opened to take in COVID-19-free residents from other homes where there have been outbreaks.
Lam said around 200 beds in the Hung Shui Kiu isolation facility will be reserved for elderly patients who are in a stable condition or recovering from COVID-19, to alleviate the pressure on public hospitals.
On supplies from the mainland, Lam said three batches of coffins are on the way, amid reports Hong Kong is running out of palls.
– RTHK, MPD
Undated handout photo courtesy of LCSD
