Hong Kong to tighten COVID-19 suggestions, hopes China reopens

Hong Kong will tighten COVID-19 restrictions regardless of its lack of outbreaks to align with China’s guidelines and boost probabilities of quarantine-free travel between the territory and mainland

by ZEN SOO associated Press

October 26, 2021, 12:01 PM

• 2 min read

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HONG KONG -- Hong Kong will tighten COVID-19 restrictions despite a scarcity of local outbreaks to better align with China’s policies and increase possibilities of quarantine-free go back and forth between the territory and mainland, chief Carrie Lam mentioned Tuesday.

it's going to step up contact tracing, corresponding to requiring using its LeaveHomeSafe app in govt premises to listing the arriving and going of visitors. it will also tighten quarantine rules to exempt best emergency worker's or these in primary industries reminiscent of logistics. presently, those exempt from quarantine include airline crew, banking and insurance executives, administrators of public companies, in addition to crew individuals on cargo and passenger ships, among others.

Hong Kong has no longer had a massive local outbreak on the grounds that the starting of the 12 months, with well-nigh no local transmission in fresh months. nonetheless it is basically closed to overseas trip, and travelers from nations deemed excessive-risk such as the U.S. ought to serve a 21-day quarantine.

at present, Hong Kong residents and non-residents who arrive in the metropolis from the mainland don't seem to be required to serve quarantine, provided they fulfill definite conditions, similar to checking out poor for the coronavirus in advance of their arrival.

Conversely, folks that shuttle to the mainland from Hong Kong are nonetheless required to serve 14 days of quarantine in certain resorts, followed through seven days of home quarantine.

Authorities say resuming quarantine-free go back and forth with the mainland is the precise priority, compared to reopening commute internationally.

Lam stated tightening restrictions to be “extra according to mainland practices” is fundamental to provide chinese language authorities self belief to renew quarantine-free pass-boundary trip.

“If Hong Kong have been to loosen the border controls for americans strolling back from remote places or undertake what different nations have performed … to reside with the COVID-19 virus, then the possibilities of resuming trip with the mainland could be reduced,” she said at a weekly news convention where she wore a brace after these days breaking her arm.

She pushed aside issues that Hong Kong’s restrictions will make it less alluring as a world enterprise hub. “Hong Kong’s primary expertise lies in being the gateway to the mainland of China,” she talked about.

The mainland government has maintained a 0-tolerance policy towards the pandemic, the usage of lockdowns, quarantines and compulsory trying out to stamp out COVID-19 outbreaks at once.