Hong Kong to permit worldwide travellers for first time since 2020

Hong Kong will permit non-residents to enter the monetary hub from May for the primary time in additional than two years, a small step in unwinding stringent coronavirus restrictions which have turned town into one of many world’s most remoted locations.

Hong Kong’s guidelines for airways that carry contaminated Covid-19 sufferers may also be eased barely, the federal government stated in an announcement on Friday, with the edge for suspending incoming flights rising to 5 contaminated passengers from three at present.

A ban on particular person airline routes shall be shortened to 5 days from 7.

Foreign travellers shall be topic to the identical process as residents, the federal government stated.

The announcement comes with day by day infections underneath 1000 for greater than every week from a peak of greater than 70,000 on March 3.

Hong Kong’s borders have basically been closed since early 2020 with only a few flights and weeks-long quarantine for arrivals.

Most flights at present touchdown in Hong Kong, which prides itself because the east-meets-west gateway, are from mainland China and some different Asian cities.

Eleven flight routes have been banned this week from airways together with Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qantas, and KLM, in keeping with authorities information. There have been greater than 70 flight bans up to now this yr.

The former British colony lifted a ban on flights arriving from 9 nations together with the US and Britain on April 1 and minimize quarantine for residents to seven days from 14, however the nonetheless stringent standards imply that few flights can function in what was as soon as one of many world’s busiest transit hubs.

Hong Kong has adopted mainland China in implementing a “dynamic zero” coronavirus coverage which goals to curb all outbreaks.

Thousands of residents making an attempt to return to Hong Kong have been impacted by last-minute cancellations, leaving them scrambling to search out different routes whereas guaranteeing they’ll safe their quarantine resort rooms amid tight provide.

Hong Kong reopened gyms, magnificence parlours, theme parks and cinemas on Thursday for the primary time in additional than 4 months.