From October 6, some social distancing measures will be relaxed, including raising the maximum number of restaurant diners from eight to twelve persons, while banquets will be allowed to have up to 240 people attending, compared with 120 now.

The eight-person group cap at designated premises such as gyms, karaoke rooms, and beauty parlors will also be relaxed to 12.

Meanwhile, bars, pubs, and nightclubs could also cater to six people at each table, from the previous cap of four.

However, the rapid antigen test requirement for customers going to bars and participating in banquet activities will remain.

Separately, the circuit breaker mechanism for cruises will be revoked.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Under Secretary for Health Libby Lee Ha-yun said that as the pandemic trends in Hong Kong stabilize, it allows the Hospital Authority to slowly bring its services back to normal.

The stabilizing trend has also prompted authorities to ease some coronavirus curbs in an orderly way to revive the economy and put people’s life back on track, thus, reconnecting Hong Kong to the world, said Lee.

Commenting on the possibility of adopting the “0+0” quarantine measure for inbound travelers, the health deputy said it is still too soon to make any decision as the “0+3” scheme has only been up and running for five days, with little data to justify another move.