Omicron: Hong Kong’s latest 2-week flight ban on 8 countries dashes hopes of family reunions, upends plans of incoming domestic helpers as travellers lament ‘things will only get worse’
- Latest ban as city braces for a fifth wave of infections leads to frantic scramble among travellers to cancel and rebook flights, hotel rooms
- Industry figures warn domestic helper shortage will worsen, and if long wait continues, market may move elsewhere
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced on Wednesday the ban on passenger flights from Australia, Britain, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the United States for 14 days until January 21, starting from Saturday. Travellers who were recently in those countries or had transited through them will be barred from returning to the city for two weeks.
Lam said the tougher rules were necessary with Hong Kong on the verge of a wider coronavirus outbreak following the community detection of Omicron cases.
Government pandemic advisers also warned earlier on Wednesday that a fifth wave of infections had started, calling on authorities to immediately tighten social-distancing rules to cut off up to 10 invisible transmission chains in the community.
A popular Facebook group for travellers to Hong Kong was flooded with messages following Lam’s announcement, as people scrambled to clarify the rules and rebook tickets.
Some residents were looking to do a “wash out”, which means staying for 21 days in a country that has not been banned, before returning to Hong Kong. Some complained they had already changed their flights and hotel bookings numerous times, as airlines have cancelled or suspended routes to Hong Kong in recent weeks.
Many speculated that the flight suspension of the eight countries would be extended beyond the current two weeks, pointing to previous examples last year.