Recession continues

Also on Wednesday, the government revealed that Hong Kong's economy contracted 9 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2020－worse than estimated amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, a government spokesman said the recent resurgence in coronavirus cases has clouded the near-term outlook for the city's economy.

"Local consumption activities were severely disrupted by the threat of COVID-19 and social distancing requirements throughout the quarter, while outbound tourism came to a halt amid stringent travel restrictions," the spokesman said.

Perry Yiu Pak-leung, deputy chairman of China Travel Service, told China Daily that the city's battered tourism sector was preparing local tours for local people, which were encouraged and subsidized by the government, but the outbreak's resurgence has interrupted all their efforts.

Having no business at the moment, many travel agencies are facing the threat of bankruptcy despite government relief, Yiu said.

"We really hope the central government can give us a helping hand once the pandemic is gone."

Eleanor Huang contributed to this story.