Travellers Complain Of 'chaotic' New Quarantine Rule

Travellers were left scrambling to adjust their quarantine arrangements on Christmas Day, hours after the government extended a mandatory hotel quarantine requirement to 21 days for people who have been to anywhere outside of China.

Originally, these travellers were required to stay at hotels designated for quarantine for 14 days.

The government said the decision to further tighten the quarantine requirement came after more countries announced that they detected new variants of Covid-19.

Flights from Britain and South Africa - where new coronavirus variants have emerged - are also banned.

"We were only allowed to enter after settling [the hotel arrangements]," said a man who flew in from Israel.

He added that he had to borrow a phone from someone to change his plans and contact his family to help with payments.

"It's quite chaotic, so I'm quite annoyed."

Another woman arriving from the US complained that she had a hard time trying to sort out her hotel stay.

"It's not an issue [to quarantine for] 21 days, can they give us a few days of buffering time?" she said.

Meanwhile the government also said 76 people violated its mandatory Covid-19 testing order for a virus-hit block on a Sha Tin housing estate, after carrying out surprise checks there on Thursday.

Authorities set up checkpoints at Ming Yan House in Jat Min Estate, and went door-to-door asking residents to show proof that they'd taken a test.

Officials said residents who haven't done so have been warned, and will have a test arranged for them. They're also required to stay at home until they get the results. Altogether, authorities say they have checked some 1,900 residents.