HONG KONG _ Hong Kong's leader said the city will soon relax social distancing measures, as it continues to ease restrictions after largely containing the spread of COVID-19.
"The time for some relaxation, some lifting of the restrictions that we put on this social context has come," Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Tuesday at a regular briefing ahead of a meeting of her advisory Executive Council. "I would just appeal to you to be a little more patient. We will make the decision and announce as soon as possible."
The statement, which did not specify a time frame for loosening the rules, comes after reports that Hong Kong could relax a ban on gatherings of more than four people and may soon open gyms and movie theaters. It also follows the decision to have government employees resume working from their offices, which went into effect Monday.
The city is also preparing to reopen public facilities, such as museums and libraries, that have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Asian financial hub, which just suffered its worst economic quarter on record, has mostly contained COVID-19 through a mix of early social distancing measures starting in late January, travel restrictions, contact tracing and mandatory quarantines.
Hong Kong has reported zero new daily cases for nine of the last 15 days and hasn't seen a virus-related death since mid-March. Nearly all of the newer infections were found in people with a recent travel history.
As other major cities continue with lockdowns, life in Hong Kong has continued on largely as normal: Restaurants are open, despite some social distancing restrictions, and residents in surgical masks are flocking to beaches and hiking trails as the weather gets warmer.
But relaxing social distancing measures also poses a dilemma for Lam, as it could help facilitate the return of pro-democracy protests that rocked Hong Kong last year. Already over the last couple of weeks, activists have held several demonstrations inside malls, chanting slogans and holding up banners protesting Beijing's growing influence in the city.
