Asia Today: Hong Kong to tighten measures amid virus surge

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says social distancing measures will be tightened as cases of the coronavirus continue to surge, with a ban on nighttime dining and more businesses ordered to close.

Lam said at a regular news conference Tuesday that there will be a ban on dine-in services at restaurants after 6 p.m., and venues such as massage parlors, beauty salons and gyms will be closed temporarily. She did not specify when the measures will take effect.

“We all need to be mentally prepared about more measures to be rolled out,” Lam said, adding that there was “no choice” given the current virus situation in the city.

Hong Kong is grappling with the latest surge of coronavirus infections, with nearly 1,200 new cases in the last two weeks after a three-month lull.

Many of the cases in the recent surge have been linked to outbreaks in dance studios across the city, with Hong Kong ordering those who have visited stipulated venues to undergo mandatory testing. Clusters have also been found at a department store, a public housing estate and construction sites in the city.

Hong Kong has reported a total of 6,976 cases, including 112 deaths.

In other developments in the region:

— South Korea says it plans to secure around 84 million doses of coronavirus vaccines for a mass immunization program that officials hope will allow the country to restore some level of normalcy by mid-to-late 2021. Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said Tuesday that the doses would cover 44 million people in a population of about 51 million. The shots will be delivered first to medical professionals, essential workers and people most at risk from COVID-19, including senior citizens and residents at long-term care facilities, starting possibly within the first half of next...