Hong Kong is finally opening up its borders to non-residents for visits starting May 2022. This announcement signals a small step in unwinding Hong Kong’s stringent coronavirus restrictions. Alongside its reopening, its government has also announced some new rules while easing certain quarantine restrictions.
Here’s what you need to know about Hong Kong’s reopening.
Test on arrival
Upon arrival in Hong Kong, travellers are required to take the rapid antigen test (RAT) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at the airport. They can only exit the airport’s “test and hold” area if they produce a negative RAT report, before heading to a designated quarantine hotel for seven days. The new quarantine requirement applies to tourists, residents and citizens of Hong Kong.
Reduction in inbound flight suspension
Hong Kong will also be easing rules for halting a flight route, stating that a suspension will only come into effect if five passengers test positive on arrival, up from the previous three. This means that if five passengers are tested positive upon arrival at the airport, or if they fail to provide the required documentation pertaining to their health condition and travel history, then a ban will be put into place. The government said that it was aware of opinions that the old approach had been “too harsh, leading to suspensions of different routes and easily disrupting the itineraries of people coming back to Hong Kong.”
A ban on individual airline routes will also be shortened to five days from seven. The exact date of the implementation is still unknown, but this move will ease the issues faced by the airline industry.
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