After the Omicron variant was discovered in the city, Hong Kong announced strict new anti-coronavirus controls on Wednesday, banning flights from eight countries, closing bars and gyms, and cancelling evening restaurant dining. The restrictions are the most recent economic setback for an international business hub pursuing a zero-Covid strategy that has kept cases low but cut residents off from the rest of the world. Throughout the pandemic, Hong Kong, like mainland China, has maintained some of the world's harshest measures, including virtually closed borders, weeks-long quarantines, targeted lockdowns, and mass testing. As of Tuesday evening, the city had recorded 114 Omicron cases, the vast majority of which were identified at the airport or during the mandatory 21-day hotel quarantine for most arrivals. However, a small community outbreak linked to Cathay Pacific airline employees in recent days has prompted the imposition of harsh new measures. Carrie Lam, chief executive officer, stated that health officials are now concerned that the contagious variant is silently spreading throughout the community."We have cases where the sources have been identified but the route of transmission has not," she told reporters. Flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States will be prohibited for two weeks beginning at midnight on Saturday.