Hong Kong lifts COVID-19 hotel quarantine policy for overseas and Taiwan

Inbound passengers line to undergo rapid antigen tests for COVID 19 under the test-and- hold arrangement at Hong Kong International Airport, April 1, 2022. CALVIN NG CHINA DAILY Hong Kong has announced a number of facilitation measures including lifting the COVID 19 hotel quarantine policy for all arrivals from Monday and replacing the nucleic acid test requirement for travelers leaving Hong Kong with a rapid antigen test, in a bid to revive the economy and reconnect to the world.

From Monday, overseas and Taiwan visitors are only required to undergo three-day medical surveillance at home or in a hotel upon arrival in Hong Kong, the city s chief executive John Lee Ka-chiuLee Ka-chiu announced at a news conference on Friday. The arrivals will be allowed to go to work or school, but are not allowed to enter bars or restaurants during their three-day medical surveillance. After they get a negative nucleic acid test result on the third day after their arrival, they will have access to these services.

Lee hopes that the relaxation of the quarantine requirement will increase Hong Kong's exchanges with the international community, boost the local economy and increase the city's competitiveness.

Lee stated that Hong Kong remains attractive as it has many advantages, such as good infrastructure, low tax rates, and its role as a connector between the Chinese mainland and the world.

There are currently three days in a self-paid hotel for all overseas and Taiwan arrivals, followed by four days of self-monitoring.

Before boarding a plane for Hong Kong, inbound passengers will need to present a negative rapid antigen test result instead of a nucleic acid test result, as previously required, Lee said. He said that unvaccinated overseas Hong Kong residents will be allowed to enter the city.

The Come 2 hk and Return 2 hk schemes allow Guangdong residents and Hong Kong residents who live in the adjacent province to enter the city without quarantine, will be expanded to the whole Chinese mainland and Macao with no quota limit.

After completing the three-day medical surveillance, visitors should conduct self-monitoring for another four days and take nucleic acid tests on the day of their arrival, the second, the fourth and the sixth day, according to Secretary of Health Lo Chungmau.

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Lo said adjustments to the quarantine arrangement are based on facts that imported cases continue to decline and that no violation of the current quarantine policy has occurred so far.

The initiatives will help the local economy by facilitating Hong Kong's connection with the international community, according to Tan Yueheng, chairman and executive director of BOCOM International Holdings Co.

Tan stressed the need to closely monitor the health condition of high-risk groups, such as the elderly and children, and increase channels to facilitate their vaccination.

Chow Pak-chin, a respected ophthalmologist and president of think tank Wisdom Hong Kong, cautioned that it might increase the transmission risk if unvaccinated residents are allowed to return to the city. The effectiveness of the pandemic prevention will be reduced by replacing nucleic acid tests with rapid antigen tests, according to Chow.

The latest arrangement is viewed as a long-awaited move by many residents and the business sector. This means that most people from overseas and Taiwan will be able to visit the global financial center without any quarantine for the first time in two and a half years.

Before being lowered this year, quarantine had been set at two to three weeks.