HONG KONG - The food regulator of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said on Saturday that it will continue taking stringent enforcement actions against operators, staff, and customers of catering businesses and other premises in defiance of the anti-epidemic regulations during the long Easter holidays.

A spokesperson for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said the department will step up its inspections across Hong Kong and conducted joint operations with the police in various districts.

The FEHD and the Hong Kong Police inspected a total of 54 catering premises and seven other venues during the joint operations on Friday, and the FEHD on its own inspected a total of 417 catering premises and 160 other venues.

The FEHD initiated procedures on the prosecution against operators of 10 catering premises suspected of breaching the requirements under disease control directions.

To minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the spokesperson strongly appealed to all sectors of the community to stay vigilant and comply with the relevant regulations on the prevention and control of the viral disease in a concerted and persistent manner.

On Saturday, Hong Kong registered 449 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 345 additional cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed.