Hong Kong To Ban Transits From 'Group A' Places

The Airport Authority said on Thursday Hong Kong will ban the transit of flight passengers from more than 100 countries and territories from Sunday amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

It said the new rule applies to passengers who've been in more than 100 "Group A" countries and territories that are considered high risk for Covid-19 in the past three weeks.

The ban will be in effect for a month until February 15.

The authority said transit passengers from the mainland, Taiwan and other medium- or low-risk places are not affected.

Cathay Pacific, for its part, said it's contacting affected customers through e-mail. The airline said it's offering passengers a refund, re-booking or exchanging the ticket for Cathay credit.