Coronavirus: Hong Kong quarantine changes ‘a setback’ and threat to city’s financial hub status, European business chamber warns

City should open ‘sooner rather than later’, leading business group says, noting travel was resuming elsewhere and few want to remain ‘indefinitely trapped’

Chamber also says concerns raised by government health advisers over isolated post-quarantine cases ‘out of proportion’

Reading Time:4 minutes

The European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong has warned the city’s pandemic policies put it in danger of losing ground to competitors such as Singapore. Photo: Roy Issa

Published: 8:57am, 20 Aug 2021Updated: 7:21pm, 20 Aug 2021

European business leaders in Hong Kong have urged authorities to relax strict quarantine requirements for travellers who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, warning a recent rules tightening presents a threat to the city’s status as an international business hub.

The European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong’s push for a reopening to the outside world came just days after the government said it was elevating 15 countries to its “high-risk” category, meaning significantly tougher entry requirements and longer quarantine periods for anyone arriving from those destinations.

Countries moving from the medium to high-risk category on Friday are: the United States, France, Malaysia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Greece, Iran, the Netherlands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania and Turkey.

Australia will be vaulted from low to medium risk.

Travel is already resuming in Europe and elsewhere, a top business group noted in a letter to the government. Photo: Winson Wong

The stricter system means travellers from the high-risk countries must be fully vaccinated for at least 14 days before boarding a flight to Hong Kong, then undergo 21 days of quarantine in a designated hotel upon arrival, with four Covid-19 tests during isolation and another on the 26th day after landing.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x