Another relaxation of the regulations, another, wave of new infections.

Every time the government eases social distancing measures – particularly the rules for bars and restaurants – we see a surge in new cases. And it’s not just here – the same pattern is being seen in many countries around the world. The US and Britian are obvious examples of places where this piecemeal approach has led to repeated waves of infections. You don’t need a PhD in epidemiology to realize this isn’t working; it’s not the way to fix the problem.

We need to fully close eateries and pubs for a proper period – say a month or two – so that we can be sure the virus is under control and prevent further flare-ups in the community. The current off-again-on-again approach is clearly not doing the job, and even the catering managers I have spoken to agree that a single, long shut-down would be better. In mainland China, where the virus originated, authorities clamped down long and hard once they realized the scale of the problem. China has not seen subsequent waves of new infections.

If necessary, we may even need a full lockdown – but the evidence suggests the virus is not being spread so much by people walking their dog, it’s being spread by social gatherings. Take the “super-spreader” events held by outgoing US President Donald Trump. Researchers at Stanford University say his campaign rallies led to an estimated 30,000 new cases of covid-19, and around 700 deaths.

And at least seven people tested positive after attending a crowded ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, at which Trump announced the supreme court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett. Who knows how many people they went on to infect?

Back here in Hong Kong, new outbreaks are frequently linked to gatherings – few cases are from “unknown origin”. Yet the government is taking measures that defy logic. Take closing bars and restaurants at 6pm. Is the virus semi-nocturnal? Is it a vampire that only attacks after the sun goes down? I guess the reasoning is that establishments get busier in the evening – but that’s not always the case. Sai Kung’s waterfront seafood restaurants are heaving with hungry customers on weekend afternoons. If you want to be serious about the virus, just close them, full stop.

But if the government insists on keeping restaurants open, a much better option would be to simply limit the number of patrons. This would enable meaningful social distancing to be implemented, rather than hoping a small plastic screen across a table will somehow stop the virus in its tracks.

Let’s say your restaurant has a normal capacity of 100 people, all tables full. Allow in only 30 patrons at a time, and given them a maximum stay of one hour. Such a policy would allow establishments to stay open for their usual hours, enforce genuine distancing measures and maintain a reasonable revenue.

There’s another piece of government logic that has myself and many others shaking our heads: closing beaches while restaurants remain open. Again, this just does not make sense. To start with, people tend to socially distance at beaches as a matter of course – if some stranger comes and sits down right next to you, you feel uncomfortable and move away. Unless they’re drop-dead gorgeous, of course.

In restaurants, virus-carrying aerosols from a cough can linger because there’s little air movement – it’s relatively stagnant. At beaches, the wind tends to carry away and dilute any such aerosols. Beaches are much, much safer places to be than restaurants – even a doctor advising the government said he couldn’t understand why they were closed.

I suspect a friend of mine may have the answer. We were discussing officials’ un-logic on the matter, and he said: “Beaches are an easy target. They don’t lobby the government or have friends in high places.”

(Alex Price is a journalist who has lived and worked in Hong Kong for over 30 years.)

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