China: Authorities in Hong Kong to ban flights from India, Pakistan, and the Philippines from April 20 due to COVID-19 concerns /update 58

Event

Hong Kong will designate India, Pakistan, and the Philippines as extremely high-risk countries from April 20 due to concerns over a new COVID-19 variant. The government is banning flights from the nations. Additionally, officials will ban any traveler that has spent more than two hours in the countries within 21 days of arrival. Travelers from India, Pakistan, and the Philippines already in the territory must take another COVID-19 on day 26 after arrival. The measures will continue until at least May 4.

Local Restrictions
Authorities have extended local restrictions through at least April 28. Public gatherings remain limited to four people. Most nonessential businesses have reopened; however, some establishments, including party and karaoke rooms, pubs, and nightclubs, are still closed. The government will also permit seated entertainment venues to operate 75-percent capacity and religious services to resume at 30-percent capacity. Restaurants must close dining services at 22:00 daily and confirm that patrons check-in using the Leave Home Safe mobile application or manually collect contact information. In-person classes at kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools have resumed. In-person classes have resumed at two-thirds of capacity. However, students can only attend one of two half-day sessions for secondary schools or morning sessions at primary schools. Full-day classes are possible if teachers and staff of a particular school submit to regular COVID-19 testing. The government requires residents to wear facemasks in all public areas and on public transport.

Authorities continue to conduct mandatory testing for high-risk groups, including people who work or live at locations with reported outbreaks or employees in specific occupations. Officials also require residents that may have been exposed to COVID-19 to get tested. People who do not take required tests are subject to a fine of HKD 2,000 (USD 257); officials could impose a fine of up to HKD 25,000 (USD 3,215) or prison sentences of up to six months for individuals who repeatedly fail to get tested. The government intends to continue focused, short-duration lockdown orders in neighborhoods where officials suspect COVID-19 is spreading. Authorities usually select specific buildings within an area and prevent residents from leaving until testing is complete. Shutdowns can occur without notice and typically take place overnight.

Hong Kong has restricted land border crossings with mainland China indefinitely, though officials are planning to resume air travel with mainland China in the coming weeks. Authorized travelers are only permitted entry at the Shenzhen Bay checkpoint and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Immigration processing centers at Ocean Terminal and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal remain closed.

Officials are allowing some transit flights at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) if grouped in a single booking and the connection time is shorter than 24 hours. Airport Authority Hong Kong is permitting transit flights originating from mainland China until further notice under the same rules; transit flights to mainland China remain banned. Airlines have significantly reduced flights due to decreased demand, and additional cancellations are likely.

Travel Restrictions
The government continues to ban all nonresident foreign nationals from entering the territory. Travelers from Macau, Taiwan, and mainland China can enter Hong Kong, provided they have not visited elsewhere for 21 days. Individuals arriving from Macau and Guangdong Province seeking to avoid quarantine must make a reservation online and only enter via open border checkpoints. The government plans to expand the program to residents in other parts of mainland China in the coming weeks. Officials have barred entry for people who have stayed in designated extremely high-risk countries Brazil, Ireland, South Africa, or the UK for more than two hours within 21 days of departure. However, officials are permitting residents to return from the UK on select flights April 21 and 28; commercial flights from the UK are likely to resume from early May. Hong Kong designates Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the UAE, and the US as very high-risk areas. The government will also classify Egypt as very high risk from April 20. Returning residents arriving from these locations and permitted travelers from extremely high-risk locations must provide evidence of a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure.

Officials require all arriving travelers, except those from mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan, to quarantine at a hotel for 21 days. All passengers must present a hotel reservation for the entire period before boarding flights. All entrants must undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Hong Kong and at the end of the quarantine period, if applicable. Officials require travelers from Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore to quarantine for 14 days, but they must self-monitor their health for an additional seven days and undergo COVID-19 testing on day 19 after arrival. Officials will isolate and treat symptomatic passengers or people testing positive for COVID-19 at government-designated facilities. Authorities have exempted some mainland Chinese teachers, students, and business travelers whose activities officials deem economically beneficial to the territory from the mandatory quarantine, provided they test negative for COVID-19.

Hong Kong is maintaining quarantine measures for crews of aircraft and maritime vessels indefinitely. Under these requirements, ships without cargo cannot exchange crews. On other ships, workers are no longer allowed to enter the territory and must travel directly to the airport after disembarking. Inbound ship crews and flight crew members must obtain a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours of departure for Hong Kong. Both airlines and shipping companies must arrange point-to-point transport for employees to limit interaction with the public.

Context

Hong Kong authorities have announced various plans to ease social distancing and travel restrictions in the coming weeks. Most of these plans hinge on employees and residents taking vaccinations, as uptake has been relatively low in the territory. The government plans to allow entertainment businesses to reopen and increase group sizes and extend operating hours at these establishments and restaurants, provided staffers have had at least one vaccine dose and customers use the Leave Home Safe app. Closing times and group size would then expand in phases depending on increasing vaccination of staff and patrons. Authorities also plan to ease quarantine restrictions for vaccinated travelers, though it is unclear if the government intends to loosen entry restrictions. Hong Kong could shorten the quarantine period for vaccinated travelers from low-risk countries to seven days or less and 14 days for travelers from medium-risk locations. Officials also intend to allow fully vaccinated residents to participate in future travel bubble arrangements. Final details for these plans, including start dates, remain unknown and could change in the coming weeks.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by local health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments.

Resources

Hong Kong Government
Leave Home Safe