Coronavirus: jab rules update allows Hong Kong residents stranded in Philippines, Indonesia to return
- Hong Kong residents who have been fully vaccinated in either country and are able to present a valid inoculation document can come back from Wednesday
- They can also spend their mandatory 21-day isolation period in any of the city’s 36 quarantine hotels, unlike arriving domestic workers
Under the updated measure, announced on Monday, Hong Kong residents who have been fully vaccinated in either country and are able to present a valid inoculation document will be allowed to return to the city.
They can also spend their mandatory 21-day isolation period in any of the city’s 36 quarantine hotels, unlike domestic helpers arriving from the Southeast Asian countries – classed by the government as “Group A” or high risk for Covid-19 – who must use a designated property in Tsuen Wan.
From September 1, “Hong Kong residents who hold vaccination records affirmed by the relevant authorities of these two countries can board a flight for Hong Kong from Group A places”, a government statement said on Monday.
“Foreign domestic helpers holding vaccination records that have been affirmed by the relevant authorities of Indonesia or the Philippines must follow the quarantine arrangements as announced by the government on August 26, including undergoing 21-day compulsory quarantine in a designated quarantine facility.
“As for other Hong Kong residents, they can undergo compulsory quarantine in regular designated quarantine hotels.”
The government recently struck bilateral deals with Indonesia and the Philippines to accept helpers’ Covid-19 inoculation certificates, paving the way for the workers to come to Hong Kong to alleviate a shortage.