Pedestrians wearing face masks are seen in Hong Kong, south China, March 28, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Hong Kong SAR government said on Monday (March 29) that it will ease some coronavirus restrictions from April 1, allowing more leisure venues to open and shortening the quarantine period for some international arrivals, as the pandemic was kept under control in recent weeks.

According to the government, swimming pools and public beacheswill reopen from April 1. Cinemas, performance venues and theme parks will receive visitors at a capacity of 75%, up from 50%. Other social distancing measures are still in place and will be extended to April 14.

Beach view at Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel. [Photo/China Daily]

Starting April 1, arrivals from Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and other countries and regions considered low risk for COVID-19 infections, will undergo mandatory hotel quarantine for only 14 days, as compared to 21 days currently. They will also be required tomonitor their own health conditions for seven days after the quarantine period is over, and receive COVID-19 tests on the 19thday upon arrival.

The same policy applies to those vaccinated and arriving frommedium-risk areas from abroad. The quarantine period for people entering Hong Kong from high-risk destinations remains unchanged at 21 days.

A citizen wearing a face mask walks on a street in Hong Kong, south China, March 27, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

The government said it is working with airline companies to arrange charter flights to bring back its citizen from the UK in mid-April. It is also mulling plans to facilitate the return of its citizens from the Chinese mainland by air.

Hong Kong is also negotiating with Singapore to reopen borders under the bilateral Air Travel Bubble agreement.

To boost the city's inoculation rate, people who are involved incatering, education and building industries are encouraged to receive vaccination, as an alternative option for taking COVID-19 tests every 14 days, a measure now being widely enforced.

Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection reported seven additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday (March 30), taking the total tally to 11,461. The new cases were one traceable local infection and six imported.

Some 475,100 vaccine doses have been administered in Hong Kong under a government inoculation program starting February 26 and about 24,600 people have been fully vaccinated.

Author & Editor: Pauline Tai