HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong’s leaders said the city will lift a ban on flights from countries including the United Kingdom and the United States and reduce quarantine time for travelers arriving in the city as coronavirus infections are at the plateau of the latest outbreak .
Carrie Lam, the city’s chief executive, announced at a press conference on March 21 that from April 1, the suspension of travel to nine countries – Australia, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States – will be lifted. — The ban on flights. Most of these countries have been banned from flying since January as authorities try to stop an outbreak of the highly-spreading variant of omicron in Hong Kong.
Travelers entering the city who test negative for the virus on days 6 and 7 of quarantine can also quarantine in quarantine hotels for 7 days (up from 14 days). These travelers must also be fully vaccinated and tested negative for the coronavirus before entering the city.
Lin also said the city-wide mass testing program, first announced in February, will be suspended.
“Experts believe that it is inappropriate for us to dedicate our limited resources to universal mass testing,” Lim said. “The SAR government will continue to monitor the situation. When conditions are right, we will consider whether to implement mandatory universal testing.”
The announced changes mark a shift in Hong Kong’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as authorities seek to provide direction for Hong Kong businesses and their residents after two years of alignment with mainland China’s “zero-coronavirus” policy.
The changes are part of a mid-term review of the city’s measures, Lim said, and the city’s various stakeholders will be consulted on any long-term roadmap in terms of public health and economic development.
“We have to listen more carefully to local and mainland experts,” Lim said.
“For any long-term public health strategy, we have to take into account the two factors of maintaining Hong Kong’s connectivity to the mainland and ensuring that she continues to be connected to the outside world.”
Lim also announced that social distancing measures will remain in place, but will be lifted in stages from April 21 if there is no surge in infections. The ban on eating after 6pm will be lifted and the maximum number of people in public gatherings will be increased from two to four.
Other businesses ordered to close temporarily, such as gyms and massage parlours, will also be allowed to reopen.
At the peak of the outbreak, Hong Kong reported more than 50,000 cases a day, and since the current outbreak began late last year, more than 1 million infections and nearly 5,700 deaths have been reported.
