【Quarantine days 3 + 4】From 8.12 to 3 days hotel quarantine plus 4 days medical surveillance for those arriving through the airport

Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu

The Chief Executive, Li Jiachao, and the Director of the Medical and Health Bureau, Lu Chongmao, and other officials held a press conference this morning of the “Corresponding Epidemic Guidance and Coordination Group” to explain the details of “travel with peace of mind” and “red and yellow codes”. Li Jiachao said that for those arriving from overseas and Taiwan via the airport, the quarantine arrangement will be changed from the current 7-day hotel quarantine to 3-day hotel quarantine plus 4-day home medical surveillance, effective from August 12.

Quarantine people need to undergo nucleic acid testing. If they are diagnosed, their QR code will turn red, and the QR code of non-diagnosed people will turn yellow. After the quarantine period ends, the QR code will automatically turn back to blue. Non-diagnosed patients can go out during the 4-day home medical surveillance period, but cannot enter the vaccine pass premises of the active inspection category, including restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, etc., nor can they enter residential care homes, and cannot participate in mask removal activities. Non-diagnosed patients can take public transportation, enter shopping malls, markets, department stores, and go to work following doing their own rapid antigen test every day.

Li Jiachao pointed out that the current Hong Kong government’s anti-epidemic principles include “not lying flat”, identifying different types of people with scientific and precise principles, balancing risks and maintaining economic momentum, reducing severe and fatal cases, and protecting high-risk people, including a The elderly and the chronically ill.

5 nucleic acid tests following arrival in Hong Kong

Lu Chongmao said that people arriving in Hong Kong must undergo nucleic acid tests at the airport, hotel and testing center on the day of arrival, the second day, the fourth day, the sixth day and the ninth day respectively. Do a rapid antigen test until the tenth day.

Lu Chongmao pointed out that the incubation period of the Omicron mutated virus strain is short, and patients will be tested positive sooner when they become ill. He cited data that for every 1,000 people who arrive in Hong Kong from overseas and Taiwan via the airport, only 8 will be diagnosed on the third day. After the hotel quarantine period is over, the patient is tested positive, and the risk ratio is similar to that of the local case. It is considered a reasonable arrangement to reduce the hotel quarantine period from 7 days to 3 days.

Those who currently book a 7-day hotel room can return to Hong Kong as originally planned and the 4-day room fee will be refunded

Fung Ho-yin, Deputy Secretary-General of the Medical and Health Bureau, said that under the new quarantine arrangement, people arriving in Hong Kong will be subject to 3-day hotel quarantine (days 1, 2, and 3) following arriving in Hong Kong (day 0). After completing the negative test at noon on the same day, you can check out from the hotel and return home for 4 days of medical surveillance. Those who currently book a 7-day hotel room do not need to change their reservation and can board the flight back to Hong Kong and stay at the hotel as originally planned. When they check out following completing the 3-day hotel quarantine, they will be refunded the remaining room fee.

Li Jiachao: Still working hard to clear customs with the mainland

When asked if he had given up customs clearance with the mainland, Li Jiachao said that there is no conflict between Hong Kong’s international customs clearance and customs clearance with the mainland, and they can be discussed together. Under the circumstance of relaxing the epidemic prevention policy, the mainland has confidence. However, at present, the mainland implements the “7 + 3” plan. The Hong Kong government needs to respect the mainland’s epidemic prevention policy. The two have not reached a consensus on the issue of customs clearance.

There were rumors earlier that the scope of the “yellow code” would be expanded to include close contacts, but there is no such arrangement in this announcement. Li Jiachao explained that the “red and yellow code” is mainly used to accurately distinguish the health of those arriving in Hong Kong through the results of nucleic acid testing. In this case, since Hong Kong has not arranged for the close contacts of these people to undergo nucleic acid testing, the scope of application of the “yellow code” will not be expanded accordingly.