China: Authorities to tighten commercial COVID-19 restrictions Dec. 10-23 /update 42

Event

Hong Kong authorities plan to enhance commercial restrictions from Dec. 10 in response to the recent rise in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases. The measures are likely to be enforced through at least Dec. 23. Restaurant dine-in services will be required to close at 1800. Authorities will also prohibit multiple facilities, including gyms and beauty parlors, from operating. Civil servants will also be asked to work from home. The new measures come amid already tightened restrictions imposed in recent days. Public gatherings of more than two people are banned, including at restaurants and sports facilities. Theme parks, karaoke rooms, and gaming centers are closed. In-person classes at kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools are suspended through at least Dec. 28. The government continues to require residents to wear protective face coverings in all public areas and on public transport. Additional gathering and business restrictions may be introduced in the coming days.

Authorities are conducting mandatory testing for high-risk groups, including people who work or live at locations with outbreaks or are employed in specific occupations. Officials are also requiring residents that may have been exposed to get tested. Those who do not take the tests are subject to a fine of USD 258; officials could impose a fine of up to USD 3,225 or prison sentences of up to six months for those who repeatedly fail to get tested.

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. Increased absenteeism may continue, especially for employees who work in Hong Kong but live in mainland China.

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; 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 no recent travel history elsewhere. Travelers arriving from Macau and Guangdong Province seeking to avoid quarantine must make a reservation online and only enter via open border checkpoints.

Hong Kong designates Bangladesh, Belgium, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, and the US as high-risk areas. Authorities will expand the designation to include Romania from Dec. 7. Returning residents arriving from high-risk locations must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 result from a test taken within 72 hours before departure. Officials require all arriving travelers, except those from mainland China, to self-quarantine at a hotel for two weeks; travelers must present a hotel reservation for the entire period before boarding flights. All arriving travelers must undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Hong Kong and at the end of the quarantine period, if applicable. 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 negative for COVID-19.

Officials are maintaining quarantine measures for crews of aircraft and maritime vessels indefinitely. Under the 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 if completing their service on board. 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.

Exercise basic health precautions, especially frequent handwashing with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable. Practice good coughing/sneezing etiquette (i.e., covering coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue, maintaining distance from others, and washing hands). There is no evidence that the influenza vaccine, antibiotics, or antiviral medications will prevent this disease, highlighting the importance of diligent basic health precautions.

Resources

Hong Kong Government
World Health Organization (WHO)