Hong Kong: International visitors will no longer need to stay in hotels for the first three days after arriving in Hong Kong; Instead, they will undergo four days of "home medical surveillance", which will allow them to roam only a small part of the city where mandatory vaccine pass checks are not required.
Following a high-level meeting of top officials last Wednesday, the long-awaited reduction from seven days of essential quarantine in a designated hotel was announced at the same time as mainland China introduced a two-color health code in style Went. Passengers will currently have to spend a week in quarantine at the designated hotel of their choice as per the extant rules.
According to the revised plan, travelers coming from abroad will have to spend their first three days in hotels and the remaining time in isolation at home or any other hotel. They will be allowed to leave their homes or hotels in the last four days, but not in places where residents are required to use the "Get Out of Home" app to verify their vaccination status, so that most To be entered into public establishments, such as restaurants and bars.
Additionally, they are prohibited from participating in designated medical facilities, such as hospitals, and any activity that involves taking off their masks.
Passengers who test negative each day using rapid kits during a period of four days are allowed to use public transport, go to work and go to shopping malls.
As officials indicated earlier, the code will not apply to close contacts of Covid-19 patients, unlike some areas of mainland China where a similar system is in place. The already existing "Leave Home Safe" app will be linked to it.
Health officials in Hong Kong are warning the public that the number of daily COVID-19 cases could rise to 8,000 in the coming weeks.
The "circuit breaker" device used on airline routes was previously taken down by the authorities. Before now, certain flight routes were suspended if a certain number of infected passengers were brought in.
Caution about tests
According to health chief Lou Chung-Mau, performing RAT and PCR tests as needed is required by law, and violators can face fines of up to HK$25,000 or jail terms of up to six months. Chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu said officials would have access to the personal information of those taking the tests. He stressed that he is confident most people will abide by the new rules. With the implementation of the "3+4" policy, Li said, more people will use the airport to enter and exit Hong Kong, so we will also increase the manpower there.
Yellow code for close contacts?
Lee said he had no intention of expanding the yellow health code to close contacts. This was due to the fact that resources were already focused on administering PCR tests under home surveillance, and the city lacked the capacity to cover close contacts, according to the chief executive.
Low suggested that the day of arrival be designated as Day 0. “Since passengers have recently arrived in Hong Kong, it is impossible to say that they have been quarantined for a day… so treating the day of arrival as Day 0 is completely accurate,” he explained.
Considering Hong Kong's Competition
In response to a question from a Post reporter, Lee said: "The main objective is that while we can control threats to public health, we also want to ensure that society has the highest level of economic and social security." activities to maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness and return to normal society as soon as possible.
“There is a balance of variables. In addition, we place great emphasis on reducing serious coronavirus cases and deaths, as well as protecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly and the very young. When we consider the best policies for Hong Kong To formulate this with Kong as a whole, we take various factors into account, he continued.
Lee said the government would regularly monitor the situation to determine if any additional measures were needed. Officials will also look for ways to use PCR tests more effectively.
Five pillars of pandemic policy
Mayor John Lee listed five key components to his pandemic strategy.
First: the health care system must deal with an increase in infections, so this will not be a "relaxed" approach,
Second: Using precise scientific techniques, the system will classify users into groups according to their risk levels.
Third: The administration will work to strike a balance between risk and economic growth to guarantee the livelihood of the people.
Fourth: Officials will reduce fatalities and serious cases.
Fifth: Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children and people with long-term illnesses, will be protected.
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