Hong Kong retail sales dropped 13.8% in March from a year earlier in the second straight month of decline, government data showed on Thursday.

The government said the retail sales value posted another sharp fall in March as the latest wave of local epidemic and the resultant social distancing measures continued to constrain people flow and dampen consumption sentiment.

Sales dropped to HK$23.8 billion ($3.03 billion), having declined by 14.6% in February.

In volume terms, retail sales fell 16.8% year on year in March, compared with a drop of 17.6% in February.

($1 = 7.8489 Hong Kong dollars)

(Reporting by Donny Kwok and Twinnie Siu; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)