Table 2.
Timeline of government response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the stringency index in Hong Kong from January to July 2020.
| Date of 2020 | Public health measures | Stringency index |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Value | Change | ||
| January 4 | Activated “serious response level” for a novel infectious disease of public health significance | 9 | 0.14 | – |
| January 15 | Guidelines published on the prevention of COVID-19 | – | 0.14 | – |
| January 24 | Flights and high-speed rail services from Wuhan suspended | – | 0.14 | – |
| January 25 | School closure (due to school holiday) | 1 | 0.25 | +0.11 |
| Activated “emergency response level” for preparedness and response plan | – | |||
| January 26 | Leisure facilities closed | 3 | 0.36 | +0.11 |
| January 27 | Travelers from Hubei banned | 8 | 0.42 | +0.06 |
| January 29 | Civil servants work from home | 2 | 0.50 | +0.08 |
| February 3 | Closed majority of road-based borders and ferry terminals | – | 0.50 | – |
| February 4 | The Centre for Health Protection reports locations of suspected cases online | – | 0.50 | – |
| February 8 | Home quarantine for travelers from mainland China | 6 | 0.56 | +0.06 |
| February 13 | Extended class suspension | – | 0.56 | – |
| February 21 | Government set up the first public relief fund of HK$30 billion | – | 0.56 | – |
| March 1 | Home quarantine for travelers from Iran and Italy | – | 0.56 | – |
| March 2 | Civil servants resume work | 2 | 0.48 | −0.08 |
| March 17 | Home quarantine for travelers from South Korea | – | 0.48 | – |
| March 19 | Home quarantine for all inbound travelers | – | 0.48 | – |
| March 23 | Reimplementation of work from home for civil servants | 2 | 0.56 | +0.08 |
| March 25 | All borders closed to incoming non-residents from overseas | |||
| March 29 | Restrictions on gatherings of more than four | 4 | 0.67 | +0.11 |
| Catering premises are required to implement physical distancing measures | – | |||
| April 1 | Temporary closure of karaoke lounges, nightclubs, pubs, and bars, etc. | – | 0.67 | – |
| April 6 | All arrivals at the airport are required to provide a saliva sample for COVID-19 testing | 8 | 0.70 | +0.03 |
| April 10 | Restaurants to serve half their capacity, separating each table by at least 1.5 m and allowing only four people to be seated at a table until April 23 | – | 0.70 | – |
| April 21 | Government set up the second public relief fund of HK$137 billion | – | 0.70 | – |
| May 4 | Civil servants resume regular work | 2 | 0.61 | −0.09 |
| May 8 | Relaxation of restrictions on gathering from four to eight | 4 | 0.59 | −0.02 |
| May 27 | Resumption of school | 1 | 0.56 | −0.03 |
| June 19 | Relaxation of restrictions on gathering from 8 to 50; Reopening of public leisure facilities | 3 | 0.46 | −0.10 |
| July 15 | School closure (and summer holiday) | 1 | 0.67 | +0.21 |
| Reimplementation of work from home for civil servants; | 2 | |||
| Temporary closure of karaoke lounges, nightclubs, pubs, and bars; Closure of public leisure facilities; |
3 | |||
| Restrictions on gatherings of more than four | 4 | |||
| September 11 | Reopening of public leisure facilities and karaoke lounges, nightclubs, pubs, and bars, etc.; | 6 | 0.63 | −0.04 |
| September 23 | Partial resumption of school | 1 | 0.59 | −0.04 |
| September 26 | Civil servants resume work | 2 | 0.56 | −0.04 |
| September 29 | Full resumption of school | 1 | 0.52 | −0.04 |