Hong Kong to ease COVID-19 travel restrictions

HONG KONG Mark the date on Aug 12 if you are looking forward to making your trip out of Hong Kong or waiting to return to the city without being subject to a weeklong hotel quarantine on return. It is just three days of isolation at designated quarantine hotels, followed by a four-day self-monitoring that will allow restricted activities in the community. We need to balance between people's livelihood and the competitiveness of Hong Kong to give the community maximum momentum and economic vitality, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said Monday.

Quarantine was formerly as long as three weeks. All arrivals must be at least a week in hotel quarantine, comply with frequent testing orders, provide faecal samples for babies and fill out multiple forms.

Under the revised rules, a red code will be given to all infected patients. If they test negative for COVID 19 on completion of the three days there, they will be allowed to return home and spend four days under surveillance.

They will get yellow code on Leave Home Safe risk exposure app, which will allow them to take public transport and go to work and shopping malls if they test negative for the virus in rapid antigen test. They will be banned from entering elderly homes, schools, homes for disabled persons, and designated medical venues, and joining mask-off activities.

When they complete the 3 4 arrangement, the color of the health code will change to blue, clearing them of any restrictions.

The arrivals must undergo a Rapid Antigen Test daily for 10 days, as well as 5 nucleic acid tests on the day of their arrival in Hong Kong, the second, fourth, sixth and ninth day. Breaching the compulsory quarantine order is a criminal offense, and offenders are liable to be jailed for 6 months, as well as a fine of HK $25,000.

Travelers who have already booked a week of hotel quarantine have been assured that they will proceed with their trip to Hong Kong. They will be reimbursed if they are fit to leave after three days of quarantine.

To stop COVID 19 outbreak at schools, the authorities have not only barred people with yellow code from entering school premises but also announced that schools will maintain half-day face-to- face classes in the new school year, taking into account the latest epidemic situation, schools readiness and health experts advice. Students and teachers will be required to take daily RAT tests until instructed otherwise.

On July 7, the city authorities suspended the rule that banned individual flights for bringing in COVID 19 patients, saying it caused unnecessary trouble and inconvenience to residents of the global financial hub.

Since the start of the pandemic, Hong Kong residents have been proactive in complying with COVID 19 rules. With the curbs easing, many expect the mandatory hotel quarantine to go fully, allowing residents to resume normal life.

In 2016, Shamim Ashraf joined China Daily Hong Kong and is currently serving as editor-in-chief of GBA Pulse.