Hong Kong Scraps Flights, Shuts Bars, Gyms on Omicron Threat

(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong is imposing strict new virus control measures for the first time in almost a year as the highly transmissible omicron variant of Covid-19 seeps into the community and threatens to spur a winter wave of disease.

The city will ban dining-in after 6 p.m., close some venues including bars and gyms, eliminate large-scale events and halt all flights from eight countries, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Wednesday at a briefing. The new rules return social distancing restrictions that were in place a year ago and were eased after Chinese New Year in 2021 as infections ebbed.