It’s a small step. Hong Kong will reduce mandatory hotel quarantine from one week to three days for arrivals from overseas, the city’s chief executive John Lee announced Monday. From Friday, August 12, 2022, travelers arriving from abroad will be required to spend three nights in a government-designated quarantine hotel before being monitored for four days at home or in a hotel of their choice, he said. ” We hope to maintain the core business and competitiveness of Hong Kong and give the company economic vitality and the best impetus for its development. “, he announced.
Formerly an Asian crossroads for transport and logistics, Hong Kong has been cut off from the world for more than two years due to draconian health policies in line with China’s “zero Covid” strategy. Applying some of the strictest health measures in the world, Hong Kong is imposing a seven-day quarantine at the hotel until August 12, with few screenings for travelers arriving from abroad.
Sanitary tracking and color coding
The business community complained about this policy, which does not allow employees to go abroad. John Lee rejected the idea that this relaxation would mean a break with Chinese policy. “ It is not controversial to remain connected to the outside world and work towards resuming quarantine-free travel with mainland China. “, he assessed.
Along with these new quarantine rules, Hong Kong will launch a health QR code system similar to the tracking app created by the Beijing government. Through this system, an infected person will receive a red code that prevents them from leaving isolation.
People arriving from abroad will have a yellow code at the end of their three-day hotel stay, and will be barred from certain places such as restaurants, bars and cinemas during the four days of self-monitoring.
” The location may be a bit relaxing for business travelers, but it is still not very attractive for tourists– emphasizes Perry Yu, the local MP responsible for tourism. I hope (…) that we will be able to get rid of the mandatory hotel quarantine by the fourth quarter of this year. “.
Source: Le Figaro
