China: Authorities in Hong Kong to maintain COVID-19 measures through at least May 12; controls on some venues eased /update 59

Event

Authorities have extended most COVID-19 restrictions through at least May 12. Public gatherings remain limited to four people. The government permits seated entertainment venues to operate 75-percent capacity and religious services at 30-percent capacity. In-person classes at kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools 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.

From April 29, the government will permit almost all nonessential businesses to operate. Restaurants must close dine-in services at 22:00 daily and confirm that patrons check-in using the Leave Home Safe mobile application or manually collect contact information. However, the government will ease restrictions for establishments and some entertainment venues as part of a "vaccine bubble." Restaurants can extend operating hours to 23:59 and hold groups of up to six people if all staff and customers have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose and customers use the Leave Home Safe app. Officials will further extend operating hours to 02:00 and allow groups of up to eight people 14 days after staff members receive their second COVID-19 vaccine dose; the same customer vaccination requirements and use of the Leave Home Safe app will apply. Authorities will also permit nightclubs, karaoke rooms, and pubs to reopen, provided all staff customers have received at least one vaccine dose. These businesses can operate at 50-percent capacity until 02:00 but must limit seating to two people per table. The government will release an app to allow owners to authenticate customers' vaccine records.

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. 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 allow 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 flights originating from mainland China, but 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. Hong Kong residents arriving from Macau and Guangdong Province can avoid quarantine by making a reservation online, obtaining a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of arrival, and entering via specified border checkpoints. Officials will expand the scheme to all of mainland China and permit 1,000 people to enter through HKG daily from April 29.

Officials have barred flights from and 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. The measures also apply to travelers from India, Pakistan, and the Philippines until at least May 4. Hong Kong designates Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the UAE, and the US as high-risk areas. 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.

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.

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