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HONG KONG: Hong Kong on Thursday shortened the obligatory quarantine for worldwide travellers from three weeks to 2, at the same time as town struggles to comprise virus outbreaks involving Omicron and Delta variants.
Like mainland China, Hong Kong is without doubt one of the few locations left on the earth nonetheless pursuing a “zero-Covid” technique that has largely saved the virus at bay however left the finance hub internationally remoted.
The emergence of the extremely transmissible Omicron variant noticed town enhance its journey restrictions in December — slamming borders shut to arrivals from eight nations and banning transit passengers from greater than 150 locations.
However Hong Kong chief Carrie Lam on Thursday mentioned starting February 5, the three-week obligatory quarantine interval for all arrivals — a few of the longest isolation measures on the earth — will likely be decreased to 2 weeks. “All arrivals to Hong Kong will bear 14 days obligatory quarantine in designated resorts and 7 days of self-monitoring at house,” she mentioned.
Arrivals will have the ability to depart their houses throughout the last days however are required to take a Covid take a look at no less than twice, she added. Nonetheless, social distancing measures throughout town — just like the ban on restaurant eating after 6 pm — will likely be prolonged for 2 extra weeks, whereas faculties will nonetheless be suspended.
The ban on folks arriving from eight nations — Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the UK and the USA — will proceed for one more two weeks, to February 18.
The extension come as Hong Kong prepares for the Lunar New Yr, a often raucous affair throughout which boisterous avenue gala’s see lion dance performances and households collect for meals. “However contemplating the dire Covid scenario, I’ve to enchantment to all residents to remain at house, cut back cross-family gatherings and be part of palms to battle the virus,” Lam mentioned.
Hong Kong’s obligatory three-week quarantine is without doubt one of the longest on the earth. It has been topic to a barrage of complaints from the worldwide enterprise neighborhood, with companies saying the coverage deters expertise from getting into transport and logistics hub.
Lam on Thursday mentioned the coverage change was “purely based mostly on science”, because of Omicron’s shorter incubation interval. Hong Kong on Thursday recorded 164 confirmed infections — the best each day determine because the pandemic started — although solely 116 have been native instances.
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