Coronavirus: share of affordable rooms at Hong Kong’s quarantine hotels set to increase when government updates list of designated facilities
- While the total number of rooms available under the updated list of providers will decrease, the amount priced below HK$500 will more than double
- The changes come after many Hongkongers abroad complained that the lack of affordable quarantine options had prevented them from returning to the city
The number of rooms priced at less than HK$500 a night at government-approved quarantine hotels is set to more than double in mid-February, following a rash of complaints that a lack of affordable options had effectively left hundreds of Hongkongers stranded overseas.
And while the total number of rooms priced at less than HK$1,000 (US$129) a night does not appear to be increasing – and indeed, may even be declining slightly – the share of rooms in the most affordable price range is set to rise substantially.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Secretary for Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said that in view of the tightened anti-epidemic measures requiring arrivals to be quarantined for 21 days – as well as the current ban on flights from Britain and South Africa – arrivals to the city might decrease, theoretically offsetting the reduction in the total number of rooms on the list.
“There will be some 2,800 rooms under HK$500 a night, compared to about 1,200 in the first round,” Nip said. “And for those under HK$1,000 a night, there will be about 8,500 rooms.”