The Government announced today (January 14) that in view of the latest developments of the COVID-19 epidemic, it has decided to cancel the Lunar New Year (LNY) fairs at 15 locations and Fong Ma Po New Year Fair at Lam Tsuen in Tai Po this year.
A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said, "The epidemic situation in Hong Kong has evolved quickly. There are still silent transmission chain in the community and the risk of cluster outbreaks. The Government has also tightened a series of social distancing measures earlier."
"Earlier on, the Government has already adjusted the scale of the LNY fairs this year and promulgated a series of anti-epidemic measures. However, it is possible that a large number of people may gather at the LNY fairs and the festival fair. The Government, after taking into account the development of the epidemic, has decided to cancel this year's LNY fairs and Fong Ma Po New Year Fair at Lam Tsuen in Tai Po so as to protect the health of stall owners and the public on site and reduce the risk of spread of the disease," he added.
​The FEHD will inform the successful stall bidders of the decision in writing. Apart from arranging full refund of the stall licence fee to them in accordance with the licence agreement as soon as possible, the FEHD will also grant the licensees concerned an ex-gratia payment pitched at 50 per cent of the stall licence fee under the fifth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund.
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