Qatar Flights Banned Over Positive Tests

Qatar Airways has been banned from operating its route from Doha to Hong Kong under the latest flight suspension rules.

The airline's flights were banned from Tuesday and will not be allowed to resume until Monday after one traveller on flight QR818 on Saturday was found to have failed to comply with the SAR's regulations, while three passengers tested positive on arrivals.

The Department of Health said in a statement: "As the flight triggered the relevant criterion again within 10 days, the DH thus invoked Cap. 599H to prohibit the landing of passenger flights in Hong Kong from Doha operated by Qatar Airways from June 7 to 11."

The administration in June to ease the flight suspension mechanism. Under the changes, an airline that breached the regulations once would be fined $20,000, with only a second breach warranting a flight ban.

Some business groups have called for the ending of the suspension mechanism, but the administration says it is required to keep imported Covid cases in check.