Latest arrangements for LCSD public services

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (June 17) that, in view of the latest situation of COVID-19, more leisure and cultural facilities and venues will reopen.
      
     Among the leisure venues, the following non-fee-charging leisure facilities will reopen from June 20. They are outdoor soccer pitches, cricket grounds, basketball courts, volleyball courts, handball courts, netball courts, a roller hockey court and gateball courts. Siu Sai Wan Swimming Pool on Hong Kong Island and Morse Park Swimming Pool in Kowloon will reopen on the same day. Details of the reopened swimming pools are at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/common/documents/reopen_annex1_622.pdf. For details of facilities in swimming pools to be reopened, please refer to notices displayed at the venues. The reopened swimming pools will operate from 6.30am to 10pm for three sessions daily with two breaks.
      
     The following fee-charging leisure facilities will reopen from June 22: grass soccer pitches, baseball courts, rugby pitches, cricket grounds, hockey grounds, basketball courts, volleyball courts, netball courts, the Sanshou Training Hall at Lei Yue Mun Sports Centre and the contact sports centre at Pei Ho Street Sports Centre. Besides, outdoor non-fee-charging children's playgrounds and road safety towns will also reopen. Please refer to www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/common/pdf/reopening_of_facilities_phase2_pdf1_en.pdf for details of the land facilities to be reopened.
      
     Members of the public can book the reopened fee charging land leisure facilities via the Internet Booking Service of Leisure Link, Leisure Link Booking Office of the reopened facilities, Leisure Link Booking Office of the District Leisure Services Offices and Self-service Kiosks starting from June 20.
      
     The opening arrangement of bowling greens, golf driving range, sports climbing facilities and craft hiring in water sports centres will resume normal from June 22. The limit on the number of users in dance rooms/activity rooms will also be relaxed.
      
     Acceptance of booking applications for use of the reopened land recreation and sports facilities, indoor multi-purpose arenas and sports grounds (for athletics training only) in September or afterward will resume starting from July 1. Please refer to www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/common/pdf/reopening_of_facilities_phase2_pdf2_en.pdf for the booking arrangements.
      
     The LCSD appeals to venue users to comply with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap 599G) on the prohibition of group gatherings of more than the number of people as stipulated by the law. The LCSD will adopt special measures at leisure facilities to be reopened. Measures include stepping up cleansing work, arranging body temperature screening for all people entering indoor venues, limiting the use of facilities and the numbers of users at venues and closing spectator stands.
      
     Regarding cultural venues, all of the LCSD's performance venues will be opened for performances or activities with live audiences from June 19 with special seating arrangements. The number of audience in major facilities of the venues such as concert halls, theatres, auditoriums, cultural activities halls and arenas will be limited to half of the original capacity. Consecutive seats will be limited to 16 and alternate rows will be taken where practicable. For activities to be held in minor facilities such as rehearsal rooms, music/dance studios and lecture/function/conference rooms, no more than 16 consecutive seats in a cluster may be occupied with appropriate distance maintained between groups. The number of users in minor facilities will be limited to half of the original capacity in most cases. For details please refer to the notifications of individual venues. Audiences will need to wear their own masks in the venues. All speech day events and hiring activities open to the public at outdoor facilities will remain suspended. Box offices at LCSD's performance venues will continue operating at special opening hours (from noon to 6:30pm daily or 30 minutes after commencement of URBTIX performance at the venue). Ticket dispensing machines will be operated during the opening hours of the respective venues.
      
     All reopened museums and cultural venues, except the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Space Museum, will resume normal opening hours on June 22 and current arrangement of admission by sessions will be cancelled. Visitors will be able to enter these museums on a first-come, first-served basis and visitors flow will be limited in the museums. Children facilities in the museums will remain closed. The Science Museum and Space Museum will continue to arrange visits by sessions, each lasting two hours, with admission quota to limit visitor flow. Special opening hours will apply (except on regular closing days, the Science Museum will be open from 10am to 5pm while the Space Museum will be open from 12.30pm to 5pm).  
      
     Public programmes at the museums and cultural venues, including the Cinema of the Hong Kong Film Archive, will resume gradually. The limitation on the number of users and special seating arrangement adopted in the above-mentioned performance venues will also apply. The Lecture Hall of Science Museum is under maintenance and is expected to be reopened in September. For related details, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/facilities/facilitieslist/museums/lcsdmuseums.html.
      
     Except Lek Yuen Public Library, all other 31 small libraries will be reopened on June 22 and implement special opening hours. Please visit the public libraries website for details on their respective opening hours (www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/index.html). To avoid people gathering, the libraries will arrange admission by sessions, with each session lasting about one to two hours. Crowd control measures will apply to limit visitors flow in the libraries. Lending and returning of library materials and picking up reserved library materials will be offered. 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. All mobile libraries will resume service on June 29.
      
     As all book drop service, self-service library stations and almost all public libraries have resumed or reopened, patrons should return their overdue items as soon as possible. The counting of overdue fines shall be resumed from July 20.
      
     Visitors to facilities of the performance venues, museums and libraries will need to use hand sanitiser and will be subject to temperature checks before admission. They are also advised to wear their own masks. Children under 12 will only be allowed to enter exhibition facilities, museums and libraries when accompanied by an adult. Enhanced measures including cleaning and disinfection between sessions will be conducted.
      
     The LCSD will continue to monitor the situation closely and review the arrangements in a timely manner.