Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image : On the streets of Mong Kok yesterday, two men sat down to eat outside a gated shop. They pulled their masks to their chins to catch their breath. An old man was begging on the ground in front of one of them. (Photo by Lai Junjie)
On the first day of the implementation of a total ban on in-dining and the tightening of gathering restrictions to two people, Hong Kong people "have meals everywhere," and many grassroots workers have to eat in parks, on back stairs, under flyovers, etc. Either standing or sitting, or even sitting on the ground to eat, some people are eating in groups. The police confirmed that a warning and a ticket were issued. In less than 24 hours after the implementation of the ban on food, the government decided that the Government Headquarters restaurant will be reopened to civil servants. The authorities also opened 19 community halls or community centres for public meals. Some political scholars criticized government measures for lacking scientific standards and inconsistency.
Open 19 community halls for citizens to have meals
On the first day of the implementation of the new regulations, it rained heavily during lunch time in many districts. On Hennessy Road in Wan Chai, a worker was holding a lunch box. He found an open space under the eaves in the rain. The lunch box was being opened. Many people gathered around him for fear of violating the "restriction order." , And then transferred to another place, squatted down to eat.
Tables and chairs outside the restaurants, hope for tolerance
A Ming Pao reporter saw a restaurant set up tables and chairs for people to eat in the Kwun Tong Waterfront Garden. The person in charge of the restaurant could not bear to see the restaurant empty-seated in the neighbourhood, and thus set up tables and chairs outside the store for the elderly who bought takeaway to sit down and eat alone. The person in charge, Ms. Chen, emphasized that she has complied with the new order and has banned in-dining but she believes that many people eat in the park, "someone spits around", and thinks that if the takeaways are handed over to the guests, the risk of the guests eating alone outside the door is less risky. She said that if the practice is violated, it will stop, but hope that the society will be more tolerant. She commented, "It is very difficult to be a Hong Kong citizen now."
The Kowloon East Office replied to Ming Pao that the venue of the restaurant is managed and operated by the non-profit organization "Art Land". The lease stipulates that the restaurant area includes an outdoor dining area of approximately 30 square meters. The restaurant has already stowed tables and chairs.
Legislative Council member and barrister Chen Shuzhuang said that the new order's definition of "public places" is too broad, the regulations are also ambiguous, and there are no specific cases, and it is impossible to determine whether the above circumstances are illegal.
Three people sitting on the ground were warned, four men gathered were fined
The Ming Pao reporter also saw three South Asians gather on the paper-skinned floor of the flyover in Admiralty at noon on 29 July. The police responded that they warned verbally to the three people yesterday. Another four men gathered at the Central Pier. They refused to cooperate. One of them did not wear a mask, so they issued a fine to the four people. Senior Counsel Tang Jiahua, a member of the Executive Council, said that if there are more than two people having dinner in a public place at the same time, it would be a violation of the gathering order. As for a church that is open to the public to enter the meal, he said that if there are more than two people dining inside, it is also involved. If the church violates the gathering order, it is believed that the church needs to be triaged. Tang said that he did not comment on whether there are grey areas in the law, but he believes that the new order is difficult to enforce strictly, and it is difficult to fully comply with it. He called on law enforcement agencies to deal with it rationally and sensitively.
Some police commanders who did not want to be named said that they had not received enforcement guidelines until yesterday afternoon, describing the grey area of the new law as "more grey than Quebec." However, they cited the first implementation of the gathering restriction order at the end of March as an example. Front-line police officers generally use persuasion as an example. If you do not follow, you can be fined.
Administration Wing: Reopening to consider the needs of security cleaners
Ma Yue urges decisions based on science
A civil servant received an email from the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office yesterday, stating that after the government reviewed the situation, the Government Headquarters restaurant was reopened today for civil servants to dine in. Each table is limited to one person. In response to enquiries, the Administration Wing said that this is taking into account the actual needs of the security and cleaning staff of the Government Secretariat. In addition, a government spokesman said that he understood that the ban on in-dining throughout the day would cause inconvenience and difficulties to the public, so 19 community halls or community centers were opened for meals. The government spokesperson again strongly urged employers to allow employees to work from home as much as possible.
Ma Yue, associate professor of the Department of Politics and Administration of CUHK, said that since the fight against the epidemic at the beginning of the year, government policies have been "lacking scientific basis" and "inconsistent." For example, the number of gatherings is limited to "2 people, 4 people, 8 people, this is no scientific rationale". He said that he did not see a consistent standard for banning in-dining. He commented, "Office work is not fully prohibited. Workers are required to return to work but they are not allowed to eat and eat comfortably. The ban is not observed in the government's restaurant." It is said that many places in the world have closed cities, and that if the Hong Kong government makes decisions based on science, "the citizens will not object to a harder, one-size-fits-all policy."
Source : Ming Pao
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