The Government today gazetted amendments of various regulations under the Prevention & Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap 599) including relaxing the number of people allowed in group gatherings in public places from two to four and extending the expiry dates of the relevant regulations to September 30.

The amendments will take effect tomorrow.

The Food & Health Bureau said taking into account that the local COVID-19 epidemic has continued to subside, as well as the need for society as a whole to resume social and economic activities, it announced earlier to continue to relax social distancing measures in a gradual and orderly manner.

The Government will extend the expiry dates for the regulations for six months to September 30, including the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap 599C), Prevention & Control of Disease (Disclosure of Information) Regulation (Cap 599D), Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap 599E), Prevention & Control of Disease (Requirements & Directions) (Business & Premises) Regulation (Cap 599F), Prevention & Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap 599G), Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation (Cap 599H), Prevention & Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap 599I).

The bureau pointed out that extending the expiry dates of the relevant regulations does not imply that the restrictions currently imposed will be maintained until the corresponding expiry dates.

Rather, the relevant statutory framework has provisions in place to allow flexibility that the Government may tighten or relax or even suspend specific requirements and conditions subject to developments of the epidemic situation, it added.