L’Hong Kong airport announced on Friday January 14 the suspension of transit flights from more than 150 countries in order to curb the spread of Covid-19. Passengers from these 150 countries, considered “at high health risk” by the Hong Kong authorities, will therefore no longer be able to stop over via Hong Kong. The measure will take effect on Sunday January 16, for a period of one month.
Hong Kong has already prohibited access to its territory, since January 8, to any passenger who has stayed more than two hours in the last twenty-one days in eight countries (Australia, Canada, United States, France, India, Pakistan, Philippines, United Kingdom). Transit through Hong Kong airport will now be impossible for people from all other countries deemed to be “high risk”. Entering Hong Kong will remain possible for them on condition that they are vaccinated and subject to twenty-one days of quarantine.
READ ALSODespite criticism of its quarantine system, Hong Kong persists
Along with mainland China, Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world to cling to the “zero Covid” strategy, consisting in avoiding the spread of the coronavirus on its territory at all costs and in a draconian policy of isolating patients and their contacts. This strategy has enabled the city of 7.5 million inhabitants to record just over 12,000 cases and only 213 deaths since the start of the pandemic, but at the cost of costly international isolation for this. major global financial center.
The authorities have been on a war footing since the appearance of a small focus of local contamination in Omicron in a restaurant, which triggered massive testing campaigns, frantic tracing of contact cases, the closure of bars and sports facilities, schools, cinemas and museums and a curfew for restaurants from 6 p.m.
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