HK Eases Entry Rules For Recovered Covid Patients

The government on Sunday announced that travellers who have recently recovered from Covid-19 but still test positive for the virus in PCR tests will be allowed to fly into Hong Kong.

However, their rapid antigen test must come back negative within 24 hours of boarding a flight.

In a statement, officials said viral genome fragments might be present inside the body of some people who had recently contracted and recovered from Covid-19.

The low viral load may still be detected by PCR tests, it said.

From Wednesday, these people will be allowed to travel to Hong Kong as long as they have proof to show that they were infected with the virus between 14 to 90 days prior to boarding and have recovered, and submit a rapid antigen test.

The government also said children under the age of three and transit passengers will no longer be required to get tested for Covid-19 before they fly into the SAR.

"As testing services in many overseas places have been scaled back, it has become difficult for inbound persons to arrange pre-departure tests for young children," the statement wrote, adding that these children will still be tested on arrival.

However, the testing requirement for inbound travellers after they arrive in Hong Kong will be strengthened, with all of them being required to do an additional PCR test on the ninth day of arrival, after they complete seven days of quarantine at a designated hotel.

The current requirement of testing them on the fifth and 12th day of arrival will remain unchanged.

The Centre for Health Protection's Albert Au said the new arrangement will allow officials to pick up infections – either at quarantine hotels or in the community – earlier.

"Some of the cases they might have a longer incubation period, so the virus might not be detected during the quarantine, or they might have onset after completion of the quarantine. This is a theological risk," he told a press conference.

"Adding a PCR test earlier between day 5 and day 12 [after a passenger's arrival] will increase the chance of picking up these cases."

Meanwhile, the government’s latest announcement also included an easing of the flight-suspension mechanism for carriers that violate Covid rules.

From June 1, airlines that trigger the so-called circuit breaker will receive a warning and a HK$20,000 penalty.

If the carrier breaches the terms again within 10 days, it will be prohibited from flying that route into Hong Kong for five days.

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