Latest arrangements for LCSD public services

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (March 31) that, in view of the latest situation of COVID-19, more leisure and cultural venues of the LCSD will reopen gradually from April 1 (Thursday).

In order to comply with the requirements stipulated in the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), LCSD staff at relevant venues will undergo polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 and ensure necessary measures are adopted at reopened venues. Users of sports premises, swimming pools, performance venues, museums and public libraries are required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" QR code or register their name, contact number and the date and time of the visit before being allowed to enter for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. Appeals are made to members of the public to download and install the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app in advance and scan the QR code with the app before entering. Members of the public who opt for registering their personal information at the scene are reminded to arrive earlier to avoid delaying their visits as longer time is required for such registration. The venue staff may immediately call the contact number provided by the visitor to verify the authenticity of information.

Leisure facilities to be reopened include outdoor children's play facilities, some public swimming pools and gazetted beaches. Lifeguard services will be provided at some gazetted beaches.

Outdoor children's play facilities will reopen on April 1 and the LCSD will step up cleaning work at the facilities. Members of the public are called on to clean their children's hands before and after using the facilities. Children with symptoms of fever or respiratory infection should not enter the children's play facilities.

Thirty-five public swimming pools will be reopened from April 2 (Friday) and the number of users in swimming pools is limited to 30 per cent of the original capacity. Details are at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/common/documents/reopen_annex1_042021.pdf. For details of facilities in swimming pools to be reopened, please refer to the notices displayed at the venues. The reopened swimming pools will be open from 6.30am to 10pm for three sessions daily with two breaks.

In addition, the LCSD announced that lifeguard services will be provided at 15 gazetted beaches from April 2. Please refer to www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/common/documents/reopen_annex2_042021.pdf for details of the beaches concerned. Lifeguard services will be provided daily at the above gazetted beaches from 9am to 6pm. The services will be extended from 8am to 7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays during the peak period from June to August. Apart from the 15 gazetted beaches mentioned above, lifeguard services at other beaches will remain suspended. The public should not swim at the beaches without lifeguard services to avoid accidents.

The LCSD will adopt special measures when reopening public swimming pools and gazetted beaches. These measures include:

Swimming pools:

Temporarily limiting the number of users in swimming pools to 30 per cent of the original capacity to maintain distance among swimmers, and opening some pool facilities only;
Distributing numbered tickets to people lining up when the numbers of users in swimming pools have reached the temporary maximum pool capacity, and reminding them to take note of the numbers shown on the queuing board in order to avoid people gathering;
Arranging body temperature screening for all people before entering swimming pools. Those with symptoms such as fever or respiratory illness will not be allowed to enter the swimming pools;
Ensuring appropriate distance between users of shower facilities, with shower heads that are not within individual cubicles being open but at 1.5 metres apart;
For team sports, the maximum number of players or swimmers and referees to be allowed in each pool at any time during competition or training match should follow the rules and regulations of respective sports competition;
Each training group or class must consist of no more than four persons including the coach. There must be a distance of at least 1.5m between each training group/class. For a training group/class of more than four persons, it must be conducted in a way to ensure that persons are arranged in sub-groups of no more than four persons and there is a distance of at least 1.5m between each sub-group;
Ensuring members of the public wear masks at all times within swimming pools except when they are swimming, having a shower, walking from a changing room to a pool or vice versa, walking from a pool to another pool, or doing warm-up exercises with a distance of at least 1.5m from others. Coaches must wear masks at all times when coaching; and
Temporarily limiting the number of persons in the spectator stands at swimming pools to 75 per cent of the original capacity. No more than four consecutive seats can be occupied in the same row.

Gazetted beaches:

Members of the public must comply with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap 599G). The number of people in group gatherings should not be more than four;
Members of the public must wear masks at all times when being present on beaches in accordance with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap 599I); and
Closing barbecue sites within gazetted beaches.

Indoor children's play rooms, the Pui O Campsite and barbecue sites will continue to be closed until further notice.

Meanwhile, booking applications for amphitheatres, leisure venues for non-designated use and sales activities at non-fee-charging leisure venues, as well as applications for road safety towns and the standby arrangement for non-fee charging land recreation facilities, are suspended until further notice.

For cultural venues, the limit on the number of audience members/users in each facility of the LCSD performance venues will be relaxed on April 1, with seating capacity to be increased from 50 to 75 per cent of the original. Consecutive seats will be limited to four. The anti-epidemic measures applied to performance venues will be maintained. For details, please refer to the notifications of individual venues.

All museums (except the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence) will partially reopen their exhibition facilities and public programmes from April 2. Admission quotas will be implemented to limit visitor flow. The Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Space Museum will apply admission by sessions. Some interactive exhibits will remain suspended. The Resource Centre and box office of the Hong Kong Film Archive will be reopened, while the Exhibition Hall and the Cinema will remain closed for maintenance work. Please visit the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Space Museum websites (www.hk.science.museum and hk.space.museum) for their respective opening details.

All 32 small libraries will be reopened from April 3 and will implement special opening hours. The opening hours of the Hong Kong Central Library (HKCL) and six other major public libraries will return to normal on April 7. To avoid people gathering, all public libraries will apply admission quotas. The facilities to be reopened include the adult, young adult and children's libraries and students' study rooms. Some of the computer facilities will resume service and open for telephone booking. The newspapers and periodicals areas will be reopened with reduced seating capacity. Reference libraries in the HKCL and six other major public libraries will also be reopened with reference enquiry services resumed. Other facilities including Kid's Internet & Digital Service workstations will remain closed. Please visit the public libraries website for details (www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/index.html).

All instrumental music training classes, musicianship classes, and some outreach music courses organised by the Music Office will resume face-to-face classes from April 8 onwards. The number of participants, including instructors within a class, will be limited to four per group or the maximum number of people as stipulated by the law. In light of public health considerations, both Chinese and Western wind instrumental classes will continue to be conducted online until further notice.

Visitors to facilities of performance venues, museums, public libraries and music centres will need to use hand sanitiser and will be subject to temperature checks before admission. They also need to wear their own masks. Children under 12 will only be allowed to enter public libraries and museums when accompanied by an adult. Enhanced measures including cleaning and disinfection between sessions will be conducted.

The LCSD will pay close attention to the latest developments of the pandemic, as well as the requirements for scheduled premises as stipulated in the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), and review or revise the above reopening arrangements in due course.