'Tighter Screening To Stop Covid Import Not Helpful'

An infectious disease expert said on Wednesday that further tightening existing regulations requiring negative Covid tests from incoming air passengers from 'high-risk' countries may not be an effective solution to the problem of imported coronavirus cases.

This comes after the government banned Air India from flying into the city after almost a dozen people tested positive for coronavirus on arrival.

Dr Leung Chi-chiu of the Medical Association said the case of 11 passengers testing positive on Friday despite having negative test certificates issued within 72 hours of their departure from India, shows that the epidemic situation there is severe or there are flaws in their screening system.

“The high percentage of positive cases on screening after arrival assessed that either [due to] the epidemic situation in other countries is serious or there may be lapses, I think, in the screening mechanisms before the passengers’ departure,” said Leung.

The Department of Health confirmed in a statement to RTHK that Air India has been banned from operating flights into Hong Kong for two weeks, but the officials didn't elaborate on its decision.

Inbound travellers from nine high-risk countries, including India, are required to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within three days of their departure.

But Leung said it would cause inconvenience to the passengers if the time limit is further tightened.

He said the delay in conducting tests and getting results in many country needs to be taken into account.

“If you make it, for example, 24 hours, it will make it very difficult for many of our Hongkongers who are now in other countries to return to Hong Kong,“ said Leung. “We need to balance it.”

He called on Hong Kong residents who are in places like India to delay their return until the third wave of the outbreak here is brought under control.

Air India has been flying back hundreds of Hong Kong residents stranded in India since May, after the country declared a lockdown due to the pandemic.