Hong Kong has ordered all schools closed, announcing the start of the summer vacation.
Hong Kong:
Hong Kong will close all schools after the territory reported an increase in locally transmitted coronavirus infections, the city’s education minister said Friday.
The government has ordered all schools closed from Monday, announcing the start of the summer vacation, said Kevin Yeung, after the city saw “exponential growth” in locally transmitted cases in recent days.
The financial center on Thursday recorded 34 cases of locally transmitted coronavirus, the highest number of daily cases in more than three months.
The authorities made the decision “for the general good of the community as well as the health of the students,” said Yeung.
Those who had to take exams could still do so, he added, although they should wear masks and maintain social distance.
Public high schools in Hong Kong were closed in January at the start of the virus epidemic and were gradually reopened starting in May after the territory had successfully wiped out new infections.
But new clusters have emerged in the past two days, including in an elderly care home that has reported at least 32 cases.
At least 12 new infections in the past five days have been classified as of unknown origin, which means that authorities have trouble determining how the disease spreads.
Authorities announced Thursday a reintroduction of limits on the number of people who can congregate in restaurants, bars and fitness centers.
A maximum of eight people can sit together in restaurants while bars, pubs and nightclubs are capped at four people per table.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
