HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - It was quieter than normal in Hong Kong's Lan Kwai Fong - the nightlife hub in the heart of the city's Central district - on the first day of a new Covid-19 rule that requires bar, pub and club patrons to show a negative test result to gain entry. But the bars and their patrons displayed nifty gamesmanship around the government's latest rules.

A 31-year-old worker in the finance industry, who said he knew about the new requirement but did not want to take a rapid antigen test, was able to get around it easily.

When he and a friend arrived at Mine bar without one, the staff allowed them to move to the neighbouring Gate bar, which has a restaurant licence. They both ordered gin and tonics, and asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. Restaurants are not required to inspect a negative Covid-19 result from diners.

Around the corner at Nuevo Tapas Bar, the manager had dozens of kits available for anyone who showed up without one. The rules require them to test off-site which could become a problem later when the number of customers surges and creates a logjam, particularly during crowded weekend evenings.

There is also no way to know or confirm the accuracy of the name or results, said the manager who declined to give his name so he could speak freely. Since it would violate the customer's privacy to demand a look at their Hong Kong ID card or other identification, the manager said he has been snapping pictures of the information his patrons provide.

Slowing the spread

The test requirement is intended to slow transmission of the virus by ensuring people at loud and crowded venues, where masks are typically cast aside to drink and talk, do not catch the pathogen or unknowingly infect others.

The move comes as the number of infections has picked up in recent days. Half a dozen outbreaks, involving as many as 350 people, were tied to the city's bars, just days after they were allowed to reopen.

The rules are also deterring some customers. The inaugural night of the new rule saw plenty of vacant tables at bars, which used to be so packed previously that patrons sometimes spilt out into the steep city streets.

Mr Sam Choi, an entrepreneur perched on his regular seat outside Nuevo Tapas, said a friend who was planning to accompany him tonight begged off because of the testing rules.

"It's causing a bit of trouble for people who want to visit bars," according to Mr Choi, who tested negative after he arrived, and said he expects his once-routine visits to taper off. "If I wanted to go out for a drink, I could go to a restaurant where I don't have to do the test."

There is enough elbow room for playing the system since there were few details about how to carry out the new rules, which went into effect two days after they were announced. Bar owners complained they had little notice and no instructions about what they were supposed to do. There was scant evidence of police in the neighbourhood enforcing the testing measures.

Doubting drinkers

There was widespread disbelief that the new approach was likely to have an impact on the case counts, which have increased nearly fourfold to more than 1,000 a day since May when the city's devastating Omicron outbreak seemed to be ebbing.

"It's just going to put more pressure on bars, which have suffered enough," said Mr Erwin de Jong, a 35-year-old entrepreneur, who was having a beer with his wife in a restaurant area that did not require a test. "It's very unfair."

The couple said they will not stop going to bars, and Mr de Jong pointed out that people could take multiple photos of one test stick with different dates.

Ms Chris Dutka, an executive at a corporate services firm, showed a negative result before a drink at Rula Live, even though she said the new rule is silly since people with Covid-19 will not step out. The latest directive was only burdening bars and clubs that have already struggled for two years through the pandemic, as well as adding plastic waste in the city, she said.

The bar or pub zones in restaurants where alcohol can be served is also subject to the new testing rules, the government announced on Wednesday (June 15). Those who want to sidle up to the bar are expected to present a photo of a negative test, labelled with the name of the person who took it, along with details on when and where it was taken. But in many restaurants, it is hard to delineate the pub-bar and dining zones.

Hong Kong reported 1,179 infections on Thursday, including two new cases linked to Racks City and FLM bars. Other venues that have been affected are Shuffle, Linq, Zentral and the Iron Fairies in the Central District. The bar clusters account for less than 4 per cent of the total cases in June.

Mr John Lee, Carrie Lam's successor who takes over on July 1, has given little indication of his priorities in a city that is now caught between adhering to the zero-tolerance approach in China and the more laissez-faire policy of living with the virus in the rest of the world.

Dr Siddharth Sridhar, an assistant professor of microbiology from the University of Hong Kong, agreed there is little evidence that a crackdown on nightlife may significantly slow the current outbreak. It does not make sense to impose the rule on bars or clubs when the risk of infection is arguably equivalent in other settings, including restaurants, Dr Sridhar said, adding that the tightening seems to be more of a reaction to the recent bar and club clusters.

Picking the right battles

While it makes sense to reduce infections in those settings, it will be very difficult to achieve zero transmission in bars and clubs, Dr Sridhar said, explaining that Hong Kong should focus on picking the right battles. The priority, he said, should be to prevent outbreaks in care homes for the elderly and the disabled who are vulnerable to the virus.

The potential return of restrictions in the city is also triggering some people who are considering moving out. Ray and Shaun, both 36, who work in the finance industry and wanted to be identified only by their first names for privacy reasons, had to show their negative test results before being allowed in a local bar, Sugar Doll.

But unlike in Singapore, where patrons have to show the actual test taken near the bars, it is easy to cheat in Hong Kong, they said. Shaun is considering relocating after being in the city for seven years.

Only Hong Kong and China are still trying to weed out Covid-19 with measures like testing, said Ray, who has been in Hong Kong for eight years. Everyone else is over it, according to him. The fact that Hong Kong is not, Ray said, is why all the expats are leaving.