Hong Kong considers shorter COVID quarantine for travelers

5/7/2022 11:36

        Hong Kong will look into shortening COVID-19 quarantine requirements for travellers, while still aiming to curb the spread of the virus and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, the city's new leader John Lee said on Tuesday.
        
        Lee spoke at his first weekly news conference as the city's chief executive after being sworn in on Friday by China's President Xi Jinping following celebrations marking 25 years since the former British colony's return to Chinese rule.
        
        China is alone among major countries to pursue a "zero COVID" strategy that aims to stamp out all outbreaks at just about any cost.
        
        "I am conscious of the need for Hong Kong to remain open and convenient to travellers, but it is also important that we address the risks at the same time," Lee told reporters.
        
        He added he had instructed Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau to look into shortening mandatory quarantine for travellers, but did not give further details.
        
        Hong Kong, which has some of the most stringent travel restrictions in the world outside mainland China has reported daily case tolls of around 2,000 infections in the past week, without tightening rules. Such numbers would lead to very stringent curbs on daily activities in any mainland city.