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Government tightens border control measures to build anti-epidemic barrier
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     In view of the latest development in global and local COVID-19 epidemic situations, the Government will tighten the border control measures for overseas inbound travellers based on "vaccine bubble" in order to build an anti-epidemic barrier to prevent the importation of cases. The new measures will take effect from August 9.

      "With the concerted efforts of the public and the Government in fighting the virus, no local case was recorded in Hong Kong for 56 consecutive days, thus basically achieved the target of 'zero local cases'. However, the global epidemic situation has been consistently threatened with the Delta mutant strain ravaging the world, posing incredible challenges to local anti-epidemic efforts. Making reference to overseas experience, it is inevitable to find isolated imported cases despite the most stringent border control measures. We therefore need to build an anti-epidemic barrier for Hong Kong with a view to maintaining 'zero local cases'," said a spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau.

     "Under the new measures, the Government will adopt a risk-based approach and re-categorise overseas places into high-risk, medium-risk and low-risk groups taking into account a basket of factors, including public health considerations (such as epidemic situation in particular places, testing rate, vaccination rate, volume of travellers and actual imported cases), as well as other local socio-economic factors. Boarding, quarantine and testing requirements will be implemented based on risk levels. Only fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents are allowed to board flights for Hong Kong from high-risk places. For medium-risk places, only Hong Kong residents and fully vaccinated non-Hong Kong residents are allowed to board flights for Hong Kong. All inbound travellers are required to comply with stringent quarantine measures and repeated testing. The Government will enhance checking on the compliance of inbound travellers in undergoing compulsory testing according to schedule as required and will strengthen prosecution against non-compliance."

     "The Government will at the same time strengthen infection control measures for staff of airport, designated quarantine hotels (DQHs) and designated transport to DQHs arranged by the Government, including requiring relevant staff to receive vaccination and regular testing. In view of 3 imported cases related to exempted persons recorded earlier, the Government has reviewed the entry arrangement for exempted persons and issued a letter to consulate generals to advise relevant persons to strictly comply with the exemption conditions."

     "The fifth wave of epidemic may approach anytime with the Delta mutant strain threatening. According to the latest research, for high-risk groups such as elderly people and chronic disease patients, the risk of death or severe complications brought by COVID-19 infection is much higher than the side effects brought by receiving vaccination. In most cases, the side effects of vaccination are mild and recoverable. According to overseas experience, it is apparent that the Delta mutant strain spreads at a high speed among the unvaccinated population, which means that elderly and other high-risk groups are still exposed to infection risks. Meanwhile, Comirnaty vaccine and CoronaVac vaccine are highly effective in reducing severe complications and death. The elderly and those from high-risk groups should receive vaccination as soon as possible when the current epidemic situation is relatively stable in order to tackle the Delta mutant strain."

Border control measures for overseas places
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     Under the new measures, anyone who boards a flight for Hong Kong from overseas places has to comply with 3 basic requirements, including:

(a) Present prior to boarding (i) a negative result proof of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based nucleic acid test for COVID-19 conducted within 72 hours before the scheduled time of departure of the aircraft and (ii) confirmation of room reservation at a DQH for the required compulsory quarantine duration;
(b) Subject to "test and hold" arrangement at the airport upon arrival in Hong Kong; and
(c) Upon confirmation of negative test result, board the designated transport arranged by the Government to go to a DQH to undergo compulsory quarantine. 

     The latest boarding, quarantine and testing arrangements are as follows (details in Annex):

(1) The 2 existing groups, namely Group A1 specified places (Extremely high-risk) and Group A2 specified places (Very high-risk) will be combined into Group A specified places (High-risk). People who have stayed in Group A specified places for more than 2 hours on the day of boarding or during the 21 days before that day are not allowed to board any flight for Hong Kong, except those who fulfil the 3 aforementioned basic requirements and the following additional conditions:

(a) Hong Kong residents who have completed their courses of vaccination and present recognised vaccination records (i.e. vaccination records issued by a healthcare institution or a relevant authority of the Government of Hong Kong, the Mainland, or a country where its national regulatory authority is designated by the World Health Organization as a stringent regulatory authority); or
(b) accompanied children of Hong Kong residents who are below the age of 12, if all the accompanied adults fulfilled condition (a) stated above.

     The above inbound travellers who have stayed in the new Group A specified places must comply with the following quarantine arrangements:

(a) Undergo compulsory quarantine for 21 days in a DQH;
(b) Undergo 4 tests during compulsory quarantine;
(c) Self-monitoring in the subsequent 7 days; and
(d) Undergo compulsory testing in a Community Testing Centre on the 26th day of arrival in Hong Kong. 

(2) The existing Group B specified places (high-risk) and Group C specified places (medium-risk) will be combined into new Group B specified places (medium-risk). All places outside China and do not belong to the aforementioned new Group A or the new Group C specified places mentioned below will be grouped under the new Group B specified places. Inbound travellers who have stayed in new Group B specified place(s) and have not stayed in any new Group A specified place(s) during the relevant period have to comply with the following quarantine arrangement:

(a) Undergo compulsory quarantine for 21 days in a DQH; and
(b) Undergo 4 tests during compulsory quarantine. 

     Travellers who have been fully vaccinated must also present a vaccination record at boarding. They are subject to a shortened quarantine period. Relevant quarantine arrangements are as follows:

(a) Undergo compulsory quarantine for 14 days in a DQH;
(b) Undergo 3 tests during compulsory quarantine;
(c) Self-monitoring in the subsequent 7 days; and
(d) Undergo compulsory testing on the 16th and 19th days of arrival in Hong Kong. 

     Travellers who have been fully vaccinated and hold a positive result proof of a serology antibody test issued by a laboratory recognised by the Hong Kong Government within the past 3 months must present both a vaccination record and a recognised serology antibody test result proof at boarding. They are subject to a further shortened quarantine period. Relevant quarantine arrangements are as follows:

(a) Undergo compulsory quarantine for 7 days in a DQH;
(b) Undergo 2 tests during compulsory quarantine;
(c) Self-monitoring in the subsequent 7 days; and
(d) Undergo compulsory testing on the 9th, 12th, 16th and 19th days of arrival in Hong Kong. 

(3) Group D specified places (low-risk) will be renamed as Group C specified places (low-risk). Inbound travellers who have only stayed in new Group C specified place(s) during the relevant period have to comply with the following quarantine arrangement:

(a) Undergo compulsory quarantine for 14 days in a DQH;
(b) Undergo 3 tests during compulsory quarantine;
(c) Self-monitoring in the subsequent 7 days; and
(d) Undergo compulsory testing on the 16th and 19th days of arrival in Hong Kong. 

     Travellers who have been fully vaccinated must also present a vaccination record at boarding. They are subject to a shortened quarantine period. Relevant quarantine arrangements are as follows:

(a) Undergo compulsory quarantine for 7 days in a DQH;
(b) Undergo 2 tests during compulsory quarantine;
(c) Self-monitoring in the subsequent 7 days; and
(d) Undergo compulsory testing on the 9th and 12th days of arrival in Hong Kong 

(4) According to points (2) and (3) above, fully vaccinated travellers arriving from the new Group B specified places and the new Group C specified places are subject to a shortened quarantine period. Upon their completion of the shortened quarantine period, any minors below the age of 12 who travel and undergo compulsory quarantine with them may opt for self-isolation at home until the end of the minors’ quarantine period (21 days for those arriving from Group B places and 14 days for those from Group C places), on condition that all household members of the minors have been fully vaccinated, and that the minors cannot have contact with persons who have not been fully vaccinated. Also, if their compulsory quarantine period at the DQH has been shortened to seven days, they have to undergo compulsory testing on the 9th, 12th, 16th and 19th days of arrival in Hong Kong. If their compulsory quarantine period at the DQH has been shortened to 14 days, they have to undergo compulsory testing on the 16th and 19th days of arrival in Hong Kong.

(5) Fully vaccinated non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed in new Group B specified place(s) and have not stayed in any new Group A specified place(s) during the relevant period can come to Hong Kong from the new Group B specified places in accordance with the arrangements as stated in point (2) above. The relevant boarding, quarantine and testing requirements are the same as those applicable to fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents. Non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed in new Group C specified places can also come to Hong Kong just like the arrangements applicable to the existing Group D specified places. The relevant boarding, quarantine and testing requirements are the same as those applicable to Hong Kong residents. Non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed in new Group A specified place(s), as well as non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed in new Group B specified place(s) and yet to be fully vaccinated will continue to be prohibited from entering Hong Kong.

     Upon implementation of the above new arrangement, the current place-specific flight suspension mechanism for Group A1 specified places will no longer be applicable. The flight-specific suspension mechanism is however still in place and will be applicable to all groups of specified places.

     The Government will gazette the relevant updated specifications under the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C), the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E), the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) and the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to effect the above measures at 0.00am on August 9.
      
     In view of the latest situation, the Government expects that the second phase of serology antibody testing arrangements will be implemented in mid-August, where self-paid serology antibody testing service for inbound travellers will be provided at the airport. Implementation details of the relevant arrangements will be announced later.

Strengthening vaccination and regular testing arrangement for staff of airport, designated transport to DQHs and DQHs
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     As a few recent cases involving mutant strains have affected staff of the airport and DQHs, and that the transmissibility of mutant strains is extremely high, it is considered necessary to speed up vaccination for these staff in order to offer better protection for them and to prevent mutant strains from entering the local community. 

     The Government will request the Airport Authority and DQHs to speed up the vaccination arrangement for their staff and to arrange vaccinated staff to work, while at the same time strengthening the testing arrangements for vaccinated staff. The regular testing for airport staff implemented since mid-July will be regularised. Fully vaccinated airport staff are required to undergo testing every 14 days. The existing testing requirement applicable to DQH staff will continue and be extended to staff of designated transport to DQHs arranged by the Government, under which fully vaccinated staff are required to undergo testing every 7 days. A staff member can only postpone his/her vaccination in very exceptional situations, e.g. if he or she is unfit to receive vaccination at the moment because of health reasons, and the staff has to undergo more frequent testing. The staff must make a declaration using a specified form and produce a medical certificate to the employer. Relevant airport staff must undergo testing every 7 days and the testing frequency may increase in future if necessary, while staff of designated transport to DQHs arranged by the Government and staff of DQHs must undergo testing every 3 days. The aforementioned tests must be done by using combined nasal and throat swabs. 
 
Ends/Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Issued at HKT 1:13
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Annex