Explainer | Coronavirus: Hong Kong is finally axing hotel quarantine for arrivals – here’s what you need to know
- Travellers will no longer be confined to hotel rooms for quarantine upon arrival in Hong Kong from Monday
- Unvaccinated residents are also allowed to enter the city
From September 26, overseas travellers will no longer be confined to hotel rooms for quarantine upon arrival as Hong Kong has finally ended some of the world’s toughest travel restrictions, a step further to reconnect the isolated financial centre with the world.
Here’s what you need to know.
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Hong Kong ends mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals under ’0+3' plan
1. Why is the government scrapping hotel quarantine?
The new administration has come under tremendous pressure from the business sector and heavyweights, who had called for the cancellation for the sake of the city’s competitiveness and economic development.
“We made this decision after we took factors such as livelihoods, economic activities, Hong Kong’s competitiveness, convenience for arrivals into account, as well as striking a balance between various needs,” he said on Friday.
Health minister Lo Chung-mau said all the signs pointed to the latest surge of cases being under control, adding that daily caseloads had dropped faster than officials expected.