The Hong Kong authorities have announced that they will lift from Wednesday the travel restrictions due to the coronavirus that required a 72-hour isolation period for people entering the Hong Kong territory regardless of their health status.
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, announced Tuesday the new measures, which eliminate the quarantine for people arriving in the city and are not infected, since with the rule that was in force until now travelers were prohibited from entering restaurants, gyms and beauty salons during the first three days of their stay.
«The decisions were based on data and risks. The risk of infection from imported cases is lower than the risk of local infections. We believe that the lifting (of the measures) will not increase the risk of local outbreaks,» Lee explained, as reported by the ‘South China Morning Post’.
With this new rule, all incoming travelers who test negative for PCR at the airport will receive a code blue — instead of amber — on their health application, allowing them to move freely around the city. On the other hand, those who test positive for PCR will have to follow the usual isolation protocols.
«Our goal is to allow normal cross-border travel as soon as possible, but we can only make progress based on the current situation,» Lee said, noting that the situation in mainland China is more complicated so there are no plans to reopen the border.
