HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - The Hong Kong government will tighten social-distancing restrictions and introduce mandatory testing for some groups after locally transmitted Covid-19 cases rose in the past week.

The new measures will be in place from next Monday (Nov 16) until Nov 26, the city's Food and Health Secretary, Ms Sophia Chan, said at a press conference.

The measures include:

- Restaurant and bar capacity to be reduced to 50 per cent.

- The number of patrons at bar tables will be cut to two from four.

- The number of diners at restaurant tables will decrease to four from six.

- Dining hours at restaurants will be limited to 5am to midnight.

- Mandatory testing to start on Sunday for specific groups.

Hong Kong reported three new locally transmitted coronavirus cases on Saturday, one of which was from an unknown origin.