Coronavirus: Hong Kong arrivals may jump 80 per cent due to shorter hotel quarantine, health chief says, vows adjustments if situation permits

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau says government has been fine-tuning Covid-19 measures to smooth out immigration process

City records 5,308 new Covid-19 infections, the most since 5,823 were logged on April 1

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Hong Kong’s new hotel quarantine policy has just come into force. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 2:58pm, 13 Aug 2022Updated: 9:58pm, 13 Aug 2022

Arrivals to Hong Kong may jump as much as 80 per cent following the government’s cut to the hotel quarantine period, the health minister has said, vowing to further adjust travel curbs should the pandemic situation improve.

But the pledge by Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Saturday came as the city confirmed 5,308 new Covid-19 infections, the most since 5,823 were recorded on April 1. Among the latest cases, 160 were imported, while three more deaths related to the virus were logged.

Hong Kong on Friday shortened the week-long mandatory stay in hotel for travellers to three days, with the remaining four to be spent at home under medical surveillance, and Lo said the government had been fine-tuning its Covid-19 measures to make the arrival process even easier.

“More travellers can come back [to Hong Kong] under the new ‘3+4’ arrangement,” he told a radio programme. “We estimate the figure can increase by 60 to 80 per cent, but it cannot be doubled.”

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau. Photo: Nora Tam

Under the new arrangement, arrivals found to be infected are given a red health code, while those under medical surveillance get an amber one.

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