Under the “3+4” arrangement, arrivals will have to undergo four days of “medical surveillance” at home, during which they cannot go to restaurants, gyms and other businesses.
Hong Kong will cut its hotel quarantine duration for incoming arrivals to three days from Friday onwards, following weeks of government officials and experts teasing a loosening to the city’s stringent Covid-19 travel rules.
Chief Executive John Lee announced the long-awaited relaxation at a press conference on Monday.
Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau said that upon receiving a negative Covid-19 test result on the morning of their third day of hotel quarantine, they will receive arrangements for leaving their hotel, where they will undergo four days of isolation but with their movement restricted.
They will have to take a nucleic acid test on their day of arrival, as well as on the second, fourth, sixth and ninth day.
They must also take rapid antigen tests daily until their tenth day.
4-day medical surveillance
While undergoing four days of medical surveillance at home, arrivals will be given a yellow code that will restrict them from accessing businesses including restaurants, bars, gyms and beauty salons.
They will be allowed to take public transport, go to work, and enter shopping malls, department stores and other premises.
On the seventh day, their yellow code will turn into a blue code. They will still be asked to “self-monitor their health” for three days, Lo said.
The health secretary said that even though authorities had shortened the hotel quarantine period, it will continue to enforce “strict” Covid-19 testing requirements for arrivals.
“We analysed data regarding the timing of imported cases and – under the principle of preventing imported infections from spreading to the community – assessed how to effectively reduce the effect of quarantine on livelihoods, the economy and international connectivity,” Lo said.
The chief executive said the introduction of the “3+4” hotel quarantine arrangement was an “important part” of the government’s epidemic fight.
He added that there were five “points” to the authorities’ Covid-19 policies including balancing health risks and economic interests, reducing related death and “not lying flat.”
Hotel bookings
According to Deputy Secretary for Health (Special Duties) Tony Wong, those who have already booked their seven-day hotel quarantine stays do not need to change their reservation.
“They can use their existing documents to check in… and under this new arrangement, after completing all the required tests, they can leave early,” he said.
Wong added that hotels are required to refund fee for the outstanding nights to travellers, but asked for their patience as hotels would need some time to process the large volume of refunds upon the announcement of the amended hotel quarantine requirement.
Arrivals currently undergoing quarantine also will not have to complete their seven-day stay.
“As for those already staying in the hotels… we will arrange for them to finish all the relevant tests. Upon receiving negative results, they can leave early in batches in an orderly manner,” Wong said.
At present, overseas arrivals who are fully vaccinated must complete seven days of hotel quarantine at their own expense. Besides taking a Covid-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) every day during their stay, they must also undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the third and fifth day.
Last month, the government announced plans to introduce a Covid-19 health code system to pave the way for relaxing quarantine requirements for travellers.
Authorities said arrivals would be issued with yellow codes for incoming arrivals to limit their activities, though no specific details were given. Red codes, meanwhile, would be issued to those infected with Covid-19.
According to Lo, the government is weighing the prospect of allowing conditional quarantine-free travel by November, in time for a global bankers’ summit scheduled for the start of the month.
Adapted from HKFP