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Coronavirus: no more hotel quarantine in Hong Kong although officials stop short of providing road map to completely lifting travel curbs
- Long-awaited move signals lifting of one of the world’s toughest anti-pandemic regimes, in force for more than two years
- Authorities had in August eased the week-long hotel quarantine requirement to a ‘3+4’ arrangement
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Hong Kong will end hotel quarantine for arrivals starting from Monday, requiring people flying in to only monitor themselves for potential Covid-19 infection for three days, although the government has stopped short of providing a road map to lifting travel restrictions altogether.
The long-awaited scrapping of quarantine, announced on Friday, marks a significant easing of one of the world’s toughest anti-pandemic regimes after more than 2½ years of attempting to keep the coronavirus at bay at the cost of alienating business travellers, shutting out tourists, and frustrating local residents.
Detailing the new arrangements at a media briefing, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu underscored the need to proceed in an “orderly manner” based on Hong Kong’s improving coronavirus situation.
“I don’t have a crystal ball … but if things go well, then of course we will be considering other new measures to allow even more activities in Hong Kong and allow more convenience for travellers to come,” he said.
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