Coronavirus: anger as travel plans thrown into disarray by Hong Kong’s move to raise Covid-19 quarantine to 21 days; city reports 57 cases, one more death
- Would-be travellers describe mental stress, financial pressure, as some plan to drop trips entirely after hearing the news
- Fallout from late-night decision came as Hong Kong confirmed 57 new coronavirus cases, including 25 of untraceable origin
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Coronavirus: Hong Kong extends hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals to 21 days
The fallout from the late-night decision came as Hong Kong confirmed 57 new coronavirus cases on Friday, pushing the tally to 8,481.
The city also reported its 136th coronavirus-related death, a 95-year-old patient with underlying health conditions. He died in the early hours of Friday at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Fifty-five of the latest cases were locally transmitted, including 25 of untraceable origin. The remaining two were imported.
Around 50 preliminary-positive cases were recorded and awaiting confirmation.
The call to raise the quarantine period from 14 days was announced with little more than an hour’s notice, forcing some to rethink travelling to the city entirely while others counted the financial and emotional cost of an extra seven days spent in a hotel.
“It is mentally stressful and financially draining to have this change of policy with no warning whatsoever, no government subsidy, and no better options at a reasonable price range,” said Chloe Poon Ka-yee, an entrepreneur who travelled to Portland, Oregon, to visit her boyfriend.