Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Monday that the government lifted the anti-COVID-19 flight ban in nine countries and that current measures will be implemented until April, April 1-14. He said he would shorten the daily quarantine period to 7.20.
The nine countries include Australia, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, the United States and the local newspaper Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP). report..
Lam said in a press conference that the pandemic situation in these countries is “not worse than Hong Kong” and that a flight ban is no longer necessary. The country reported 14,149 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday.
Residents of nine countries are only allowed to board flights to Hong Kong if they are fully vaccinated and have a negative nucleic acid test. They must have a rapid antigen test daily at the hotel where they are staying and are allowed to leave the country on the 7th day as long as the test result is negative.
Lam said plans to conduct a mass coronavirus test in Hong Kong were put on hold, overturning the government’s previous announcement that it would begin a mandatory mass test for all residents in mid-March.
The school will resume face-to-face lessons and public venues will resume on April 19. Vaccination is not mandatory for students to enter school, but Lamb believes that high student vaccination rates are a “better condition” for educational activities. [HKFP]
The announcement promises that Ram will consider a country’s pandemic measures, given that many residents will “lose patience” in the city’s coronavirus policy in line with China’s “zero corona” strategy and contain the outbreak. It took place a few days later.
Pandemic measures have caused a civil outflow in the last two months, along with frequent mixed government messages about whether national blockades and mass testing will take place. [Reuters]
Net outflows show that more than 54,000 people have left Hong Kong so far in March, more than 71,000 in February, and nearly 17,000 people left Hong Kong before the fifth wave of the pandemic struck in December. It raises concerns about long-term competitiveness. [Reuters]
During ~ Press conference Mr Lam said on Sunday that Hong Kong is experiencing various stages of “brain drain” while attracting talent through the 14th National Five-Year Plan.
“Inevitably, some people may take a short-term view, such as worrying that they may not be able to travel, or complaining that their children couldn’t go to school,” she said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Aldgra Fredly is a Malaysia-based freelance writer featuring the Epoch Times Asia Pacific News.