30 May 2022 | 10:04 AM UTC
China: Authorities in Hong Kong to ease some COVID-19 testing requirements for travelers from June 1 /update 96
Authorities in Hong Kong to ease some COVID-19 testing requirements for inbound and transiting travelers from June 1.
Event
Hong Kong authorities will ease some COVID-19 testing requirements from June 1. Inbound passengers must continue to present a negative nucleic acid test result taken within 48 hours of departure but will no longer have to provide proof of lab accreditation. Officials will also lift requirements for arriving travelers aged below three and for transit passengers to take a pre-departure PCR test. Travelers that entered Hong Kong on or after May 24 and discharged early from quarantine must take an additional COVID-19 test on the ninth day of arrival.
Additionally, the government will ease its flight suspension mechanism from June 1. Under the revised controls, airlines that trigger the mechanism due to passengers' non-compliance with boarding conditions will receive a HK$20,000 (S$3,500) penalty. If the airline breaches the terms again within 10 days, officials will ban it from flying that route into Hong Kong for five days.
Domestic Measures
Residents must wear facemasks in all public areas. Officials limit public groups to four people. Authorities encourage workplaces to implement telecommuting arrangements, if possible. The government allows personal services, fitness sites, and cultural and leisure venues to operate at 50-percent capacity. Restaurants can operate until 23:59; banquets can take place with up to 20 people. Nightclubs, pubs, and karaoke rooms may open. Private events can occur at 50-percent capacity; officials permit events at full capacity if at least two-thirds of attendees have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
The vaccine pass system remains in effect. Officials require a pass, indicating at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, to visit high-risk venues, such as personal services, fitness establishments, and houses of worship. Individuals must use the Leave Home Safe mobile application to access most dining, entertainment, and fitness facilities. Alternative forms are available for exempt groups.
Officials require mandatory testing for high-risk groups and individuals potentially exposed to COVID-19. People who do not comply face a fine of HKD 25,000 and prison sentences of up to six months. The government continues to order focused, short-duration lockdowns at select buildings within an area and require residents to remain at home until testing is complete. Shutdowns can occur without notice but typically take place overnight.
International Travel Restrictions
Fully vaccinated residents and all travelers who spent the previous 14 days in Macau, Taiwan, and mainland China may enter Hong Kong. Authorities also allow nonresident foreign nationals to enter the territory. Vaccinated senior executives of select publicly listed or registered financial services companies can enter if they meet specific criteria. Permitted executives must undergo COVID-19 testing and adhere to approved itineraries.
Most inbound passengers must provide a negative PCR test result from a sample taken 48 hours or less before arrival; authorities calculate the sample time and date from the time zone of the inbound flight for connecting passengers. Passengers from mainland China and Macau must present a negative PCR test taken within three days before arrival; tests must be conducted by laboratories mutually agreed upon by Hong Kong and Guangdong officials or approved by China's National Health Commission. Passengers must also hold a reservation at a designated quarantine hotel to board flights. Arrivals must undergo on-arrival COVID-19 testing and remain in specified areas of HKG until receiving a negative result before continuing to hotel quarantine.
Fully vaccinated arrivals from mainland China and Macau must quarantine for seven days at a hotel or home and receive a negative COVID-19 test on day five to exit. Unvaccinated arrivals from both locations must quarantine for 14 days; home quarantine is possible in some circumstances. Unvaccinated arrivals from Taiwan and fully vaccinated travelers outside of Greater China must quarantine for two weeks at designated hotels, take a daily rapid antigen test (RAT), and PCR tests on days 5 and 12. However, passengers can opt for a seven-day quarantine but must return negative test results on days 5-7 to exit early. Travelers seeking reduced quarantine should only book hotel reservations for seven days. All arrivals must self-monitor for symptoms for an additional week after release and undergo further testing on specified days. For a detailed list of quarantine and testing requirements, click here.
The government allows some groups, such as government officials on duty and cargo and coach drivers, to self-quarantine. All people in self-quarantine are subject to enhanced monitoring. Hong Kong residents who only visited low-risk areas in mainland China or Macau and nonresidents who have been in Guangdong Province or Macau for the previous 14 days can forgo quarantine by making a reservation online. The government operates a quota system for such arrivals. Entrants under the scheme must enter via the Shenzhen Bay or Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge checkpoints or Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), take a COVID-19 test within three days before entry, and undergo tests on specified days after arrival. All other border checkpoints remain closed.
Inbound ship and flight crews must obtain a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours before departure for Hong Kong. Aircrews must quarantine at designated hotels for three days followed by 11 days of medical surveillance; officials may require additional routine testing after quarantine. Locally based aircrew on cargo flights are exempt from quarantine but must take two PCR tests before leaving the airport. Airlines and shipping companies must arrange point-to-point transport for employees to limit interaction with the public; ship workers must travel directly to the airport after disembarking. Cruise ships remain banned.
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. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments.
