Hong Kong May End Hotel Quarantine This Month Due To Coronavirus
Nikki Attkisson | Last Updated : September 20, 2022Hong Kong is likely to announce an end to the state-mandated hotel quarantine for all inbound travelers as soon as the month ends. This news is a respite for everyone traveling to and from Hong Kong.
As a business hub and a global destination for business people worldwide, the quarantine mandate had become a hassle and a reason to postpone all travels to Hong Kong.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Hong Kong, like much of China, has observed some of the strictest Covid19 protocols in the world. Travelers, especially, had a hard time because of the strict measures and ever-changing guidelines during the surge and fall of the virus.
The fluctuating numbers also meant fluctuating protocols that were particularly hard to keep track of. At this time, travelers had to be constantly on their toes to be updated on the latest Covid19 protocols observed in Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, Hotel Quarantines May Be Lifted This Month Due To The Coronavirus
However, this news has come as a breath of fresh air, and the announcements may be made sometime this week as sources suggest.
Below is the current travel mandate in Hong Kong:
- A three-day mandatory hotel quarantine for all travelers
- A four-day bar and restaurant entry restriction for all Hong Kong travelers.
- The travelers have to submit their health declaration forms in advance- as early as three days before arrival.
- They also need to have a confirmation of room reservation in one of the Designated Quarantine Hotels in Hong Kong.
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Travelers coming to Hong Kong would have to plan their itinerary with an extra 6-7 days on hand owing to these restrictions. It meant that people making short visits would be deterred by the mandate.
There were several doubts on whether the proposed Banker summit and the Rugby Sevens event happening in Hong Kong later this year would see enough participants owing to the compulsory quarantine policy.
The end to the hotel quarantine would mean a possible surge in the incoming traffic for all Hong Kong-bound travelers.
Even when the entire world had loosened its restrictions and had started living with minimum restrictions, China always insisted on killing the virus instead of living with it.
But many Nations opening their borders and lifting their travel restrictions may have nudged officials to slowly lift the travel restrictions in Hong Kong.
It is being speculated that the hotel quarantine will give way to a more relaxed self-monitoring mandate for seven days, which is much more manageable and travel-friendly.
Hong Kong may well be on its way to welcoming travelers with an open mind from as early as next month.
Nothing official has been released on this matter, but if the speculations are true, Hong Kong will soon get an influx of travelers coming in for business and pleasure.
The dates may be announced soon, affecting the airlines and other travel businesses. Many believe that the protocols and policies for battling the pandemic will soon be changed to a relaxed variation.
The restrictions are gradually being lifted to accommodate travelers while ensuring maximum safety. Since being sworn into his office as the city’s Chief Executive, John Lee has reduced the restrictions and the minimum number of quarantine days to three from the earlier seven.
Currently, Hong Kong faces competition and pressure from other global cities that have slowly lifted travel bans and re-opened their cities like London, New York, and Singapore. Hence, the end of the hotel quarantine policy will bring it back to the game.
References:
🔵Science Direct (n.d) A model for COVID-19 with isolation, quarantine and testing as control measures (Available On):https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755436521000025
🔵WebMD (2005-2022) Quarantine During Coronavirus Pandemic (Available On):https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus_quarantine#1
With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.