Coronavirus: cutting hotel quarantine to 3 days serves ‘best interests of Hong Kong’, leader John Lee says

Under ‘3+4’ policy effective from Friday, arrivals can spend final four days of quarantine period at home

Chief Executive Lee says new approach will not clash with ongoing efforts to allow greater travel over mainland border

Reading Time:4 minutes

Passengers arrive at Hong Kong’s airport before being taken to quarantine hotels. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 9:45pm, 8 Aug 2022Updated: 7:05pm, 9 Aug 2022

Hong Kong’s new leader has made his first move to fully reconnect the city with the rest of the world by shortening the compulsory hotel quarantine period for arrivals from seven days to three in a much-anticipated policy change effective from Friday.

With daily Covid-19 infections still being reported in the thousands, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Monday said he was trying to strike a balance “in the best interests of Hong Kong”, and the new approach would not clash with simultaneous efforts to enable greater cross-border travel with mainland China.

A government source said the ultimate goal was to scrap quarantine altogether but that would require more careful consideration and thorough assessment, as Lee would not want to roll back measures later.

“Eventually we hope to reach zero-quarantine. We cannot promise a timeline yet, but it’s the plan,” the insider said.

Overseas passengers arrive at Hong Kong’s airport. According to data collected from July 8 to August 4, about 50 per cent of imported cases were uncovered through PCR tests at the airport. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Under the new arrangement, arrivals from overseas must remain at a quarantine hotel for three days and spend the remaining four at home. Anyone without a home in the city will have to spend these four days at a regular hotel.