It was quieter than normal in Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong — the nightlife hub in the heart of the city’s Central district — on the first day of a new COVID-19 rule that requires bar, pub and club patrons to show a negative test result to gain entry.

But the bars and their patrons displayed nifty gamesmanship around the government’s latest rules.

A 31-year-old worker in the finance industry, who said he knew about the new requirement but didn’t want to take a rapid antigen test, was able to get around it easily. When he and a friend arrived at Mine bar without one, the staff allowed them to move to the neighboring Gate bar, which has a restaurant license.