Quarantine Exemption To Be Extended To Mainlanders

The government is to allow a limited number of mainlanders to visit Hong Kong without having to go into quarantine from mid-May, but an as-yet undecided quota will be set for the exact number of arrivals.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam told a press conference on Monday that anyone who visits the SAR under the scheme would have to have proof that they had recently tested negative for Covid-19, but there will be no vaccination requirement.

Lam said this isn’t needed as the mainland has achieved “zero infection”. The mainland has been reporting only a handful of new cases per day.

Pressed about how many people would be allowed to enter, Lam said the quota would depend on the capacity of the airport, and the two road border points currently open.

“The quota… is going to be determined by us and we hope to be able to tell people this quota once we got the scheme ready for implementation,” she said.

But she said the scheme would be open to all types of travellers, and even foreigners who live on the mainland.

And, by the end of the month, a current quarantine-free travel scheme for Hong Kong permanent residents who live in Guangdong will be extended to the rest of the mainland.

As part of Hong Kong’s new vaccination-centred strategy for reopening the economy, Lam also announced that travel restrictions for inbound travellers will also be relaxed, with those flying in from countries considered low-risk such as Singapore, Australia and New Zealand to be put under quarantine for seven days or less in future, so long as they have received coronavirus vaccines.

Travellers from places deemed to be at medium-risk would have their quarantine cut from 21, to 14 days or less.

Meanwhile, a ban on flights from the UK will be lifted in May, but travellers are still required to undergo a 21-day quarantine at hotels.

Hundreds of Hong Kong people have been stranded in the UK for months, with many returning on two special flights scheduled later in April.

At the same time, the government said it would raise its guard against Covid-19 variants.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan said all flights will be banned from specific locations for at least 14 days if a number of inbound travellers are found to carry Covid-19 variants.

However, she gave no specifics.