Hong Kong weighs cutting Covid-19 hotel quarantine to five days or less

Hong Kong is considering reducing mandatory hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals to five days or less, down from seven days, according to the city’s health chief.

During the two-day home isolation period that follows, visitors will be required to use a so-called yellow health code and refrain from visiting high-risk venues, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on Saturday (July 30).

They may also have to complete rapid antigen tests every two days, he added.

Earlier, the South China Morning Post said authorities could even shorten the hotel quarantine to three days as they put the finishing touches to a China-style health code.

Lo previously told the newspaper that conditional quarantine-free travel may be allowed by November, in time for a global bankers’ summit to be held in the city.

The Asian financial centre still adopts some of the most stringent quarantine requirements in the world, in line with China’s zero-Covid policy which has been abandoned elsewhere.

It has relaxed some restrictions on travel and general movement, but social distancing rules such as mask-wearing remain largely in place.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES