DH to further extend health quarantine arrangements on inbound travellers from overseas
***************************************************************

     Following the Security Bureau's announcement today (March 17) that in view of the health risks arising from the persistent and rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases globally, the Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) has been issued on all overseas countries/territories based on public health considerations, the Department of Health (DH) will extend health quarantine arrangements on inbound travellers arriving from all countries/territories accordingly and demand them to undergo compulsory quarantine.
      
     Starting from 0.00am on March 19, the DH's Port Health Division officers will issue quarantine orders for compulsory quarantine to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to all overseas countries/territories in the past 14 days, regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents.
 
     Meanwhile, the quarantine measures announced earlier for people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do in Korea, Iran, and Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto regions in Italy, as well as Hong Kong residents returning from Hubei Province in the past 14 days to stay in a quarantine centre for quarantine remain unchanged. According to the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C) , the measures of issuing quarantine orders to all people entering Hong Kong from the Mainland, regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents, and to demand them to stay at home or other accommodation for a 14-day compulsory quarantine also remain unchanged.
 
     The risk in all overseas countries/territories is high currently. As the surveillance method is different, it is not possible to assess the risk based on the number of confirmed cases reported. The Centre for Health Protection of the DH will update the list of places with active community transmissions of COVID-19 under the reporting criteria for suspected cases to include all overseas countries/territories. 
               
     In view of proliferation of the disease and continuous increase in the number of cases reported around the world, members of the public are again strongly urged to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong. For the situation of various countries/areas, please refer to the information uploaded onto the "COVID-19 Thematic Website" (www.coronavirus.gov.hk).

Ends/Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Issued at HKT 20:00

NNNN