Coronavirus: Hong Kong set to shorten quarantine period for fully vaccinated close contacts of Covid-19 patients

News of policy change comes as authorities order lockdown of a public housing block after resident tests preliminary-positive for a mutated strain

Thousands sign petitions involving two other buildings caught up in similar lockdowns

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Fung Hing House in Hing Wah (II) Estate was locked down on Thursday evening for testing of residents. Photo: May Tse

Published: 2:59pm, 6 May 2021Updated: 1:55am, 7 May 2021

Hong Kong health authorities will shorten the quarantine period for fully vaccinated close contacts of Covid-19 patients under revised arrangements to be announced as early as Friday, the Post has learned.

News of the policy change came on Thursday even as authorities ordered the lockdown of a public housing block in Chai Wan – the eighth building to be placed under quarantine orders in three weeks – after a resident tested preliminary-positive for a mutated strain of the coronavirus.

The latest case was linked to a recent cluster of variant infections.

The overnight lockdown order required hundreds of residents of Fung Hing House in Hing Wah (II) Estate to undergo mandatory testing from 9pm. The testing was expected to end at 7am on Friday, and residents were likely to be sent to quarantine facilities afterwards.

Thousands have signed petitions involving two other buildings caught up in similar lockdowns, to fight against rules under which everyone in any block in which a single variant infection is found will be sent to quarantine camps for 21 days.

Testing at Fung Hing House was expected to end at 7am on Friday, and residents were likely to be sent to quarantine facilities afterwards. Photo: May Tse

Dozens of residents from the Royalton I private housing estate in Pok Fu Lam were allowed to stay home for the time being after refusing to leave.

According to sources, the plan to shorten quarantine for fully vaccinated people will apply to those who have received their second dose at least 14 days earlier.