Hong Kong third wave: struggling catering sector calls for HK$8 billion government bailout as restaurant ban looms amid Covid-19 crisis

Hong Kong’s struggling catering sector has called on the government to dish out HK$8 billion (US$1.03 billion) in handouts to rescue hard-hit restaurants, with a sweeping ban on dine-in services to take effect on Wednesday amid the coronavirus pandemic.An industry leader warned that without further financial aid from the government, thousands of operators might go out of business. The sector is facing a loss of HK$7 billion in August alone, as the city battles a third wave of Covid-19…