All arrivals except those from China will have to quarantine in a hotel, Hong Kong says, as city records 9 new Covid-19 cases
- Move is to reduce transmission risk of the virus from imported cases to household members, and comes into effect on November 13
- City reports nine new Covid-19 cases including two more linked to a growing cluster over a staycation holiday in Mui Wo’s Silvermine Bay
Anyone arriving in Hong Kong from countries other than China must from November 13 undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine in a hotel to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 at home.
The city recorded nine new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, including two more linked to a growing cluster from a staycation holiday in Mui Wo’s Silvermine Bay and a local untraceable infection of an office worker.
The new quarantine arrangement was announced on Tuesday hours after the city leader revealed that members of the public who needed to prove their health status could sign up for coronavirus screening at a cost of HK$240 (US$31) at government testing centres, to be launched in the middle of the month.
Free Covid-19 testing would also be offered from next Monday for teachers and staff in public schools and kindergartens.
A government statement said that people who had been to places other than mainland China, Macau and Taiwan within 14 days before coming to Hong Kong would need to provide proof of a room reservation in a hotel in the city for not fewer than two weeks. Previously, arrivals from low-risk countries could undergo the two-week quarantine period at home.