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Government maintains boarding restrictions for places with severe epidemic situation and compulsory quarantine arrangements
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     The Government announced today (February 10) that as the global epidemic situation of COVID-19 remains severe, it will maintain the measure under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) to restrict persons who have stayed in the extremely high-risk Group A specified places from boarding flights for Hong Kong, as well as the 21-day compulsory quarantine requirement 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) and Cap. 599H for persons arriving in Hong Kong who have stayed in places outside China.

     To facilitate the public's understanding of the boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements under the relevant regulations for persons who have stayed in different places outside China, the Government has categorised the relevant risk-based boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements for the relevant specified places into three groups. 

     Any person who has stayed in Group A specified places (i.e. Brazil, Ireland, South Africa and the United Kingdom) for more than two hours on the day of boarding or during the 21 days before that day are not allowed to board for Hong Kong.
 
     For the very high-risk Group B specified places and the medium- to high-risk Group C specified places, all persons arriving in Hong Kong (either via the airport or land boundary control points) who have stayed in places outside China on the day of arrival in Hong Kong or during the 21 days before that day have to undergo compulsory quarantine for 21 days in designated quarantine hotels. Persons arriving in Hong Kong who have stayed in Group B specified places also have to present prior to boarding proof of a negative result of a nucleic acid test for COVID-19 conducted within 72 hours before the scheduled time of departure of the aircraft.
 
     Details on the grouping of specified places and their respective boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/high-risk-places.html.
 
     A Government spokesman said, "The Government recognises that the measures in relation to Group A specified places are very stringent, and maintaining the boarding restriction would inevitably affect the return journeys of a number of Hong Kong residents there. However, it is necessary for the Government to extend the relevant arrangement, so as to protect the health of the overall community in Hong Kong by firmly guarding against the importation of the new virus variants."
 
     The Government spokesman reiterated, "The Government will continue to closely monitor the developments of the global and local epidemic situation, including the extent and pattern of the spread of the disease in a certain place, and will frequently review the epidemic prevention and control requirements for persons returning to Hong Kong from different parts of the world, and suitably adjust them as needed or as practicable."
 
Ends/Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Issued at HKT 19:38
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