Hong Kong to axe most quarantine exemptions for entry

Hong Kong will end quarantine exemption privileges for most people in categories once identified as crucial for maintaining the city’s daily operations, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has revealed, as part of stepped-up efforts to convince Beijing to reopen the border with mainland China.

Report informs, citing South China Morning Post, that fuller details would come at an afternoon press conference, Lam said on Tuesday, calling the step a response to a joint meeting between Hong Kong and mainland Chinese health experts aimed at determining what steps were needed to assuage concerns about the city’s coronavirus situation.

Hong Kong has one of the strictest quarantine policies in the world, but its chief secretary, the city’s No 2 official, has the power to exempt those deemed necessary for governmental, business and health operations.

The latest move would get rid of special arrangements for most categories, which range from diplomats to company directors to scientific researchers, leaving only those deemed absolutely essential, such as truck drivers, Lam said.

“Most of the so-called group exemptions, meaning those who are able to come in from overseas and mainland China starting from the start of this year, will be cancelled,” the chief executive said at her weekly press briefing. “These are all measures taken to make the central government more confident in allowing us to resume borders.”

Lam also appealed for understanding from the city’s foreign businesses – many of which had publicly called for a loosening of quarantine restrictions – saying they also stood to benefit from being able to enter mainland China.

However, she also cautioned that any border reopening would come in step-by-step fashion and begin with small quotas.