Hong Kong is ending it’s two-year ban on visits from Canadians, Americans and British residents, and also slashing its quarantine requirement.
The city’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, announced during a press conference Monday that Hong Kong on April 1 will lift flight bans on nine countries, including Canada, Britain, Australia, India and the U.S., as well as reduce quarantine times at special hotels from 14 days to seven. Travellers would have to test negative for COVID-19 on the sixth and seventh day of quarantine to end their isolation before 14 days. In addition, all visitors to Hong Kong must be fully vaccinated and test negative for the virus prior to arrival.
The CBC reports that the announced changes “signal a shift in Hong Kong’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as authorities sought to provide a direction for Hong Kong businesses and its residents after two years of aligning with mainland China’s ‘zero COVID’ policy.”
“Lam said that the changes come as part of an interim review of the city’s measures, and that various stakeholders in the city will be consulted for any longer-term road maps when it comes to public health and economic development,” the network reports.
