'No Need To Change Booking To Get Hotel Refund'

The government on Monday said travellers due to arrive in Hong Kong would be given a refund by the designated quarantine hotels that they booked in view of a reduction in the mandatory quarantine period from Friday.

Officials reminded travellers that they needn't make changes to their hotel bookings, adding that they can use the same booking confirmations to go through immigration control.

Timothy Chui, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, welcomed the arrangement, saying it would be impossible for designated hotels to issue new booking confirmations to tens of thousands of travellers.

He added that it might take some time for hotels to refund all the customers.

Deputy Secretary for Health Fung Hao-yin, meanwhile, said travellers would be allowed to leave their designated hotels at around noon after spending three nights in quarantine if they test negative for the virus.

"As most travellers will be checking out in the morning, hotels should put in place measures to prevent cross-infection. We hope travellers can wait patiently," he said.

Some people who have recently returned from abroad are also hoping to shorten their mandatory quarantine period as a result of the latest rule change. Hong Kong resident Pete flew back from the UK last Friday, and would have been allowed to leave late Friday evening under the old rules.

Now he's hoping the new regulations will apply so he can leave his quarantine hotel 12 hours early at noon on Friday.

"I guess it feels like that the rules are being changed a bit arbitrarily and not really with much of a plan," he said. "But if I can get out earlier, we will take that."