Government extends place-specific flight suspension mechanism and implements place-specific flight suspension mechanism for Nepal
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The Government earlier invoked the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) to implement the place-specific flight suspension mechanism from January 8 (Hong Kong time) for Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The relevant measure was to be maintained until February 18. Noting that the local epidemic situation remains severe, and there has all along been many Hong Kong residents returning from these eight places, in order to prevent imported cases from posing additional pressure on the healthcare system at this crucial juncture of curbing the local epidemic situation, the Government will extend the place-specific flight suspension mechanism for two weeks. From February 19 to March 4, all passenger flights from these eight places will be prohibited from landing in Hong Kong, and at the same time, persons who have stayed in these places for more than two hours within 14 days will be restricted from boarding passenger flights for Hong Kong, so as to stop persons from the relevant places from travelling to Hong Kong via transit.
At the same time, noting the detection of many imported cases from Nepal, the Government will implement the place-specific flight suspension mechanism for Nepal from 0.00am on February 12 (Hong Kong time) to March 4 to prohibit all passenger flights from Nepal from landing in Hong Kong, and restrict persons who have stayed in this place for more than two hours within 14 days from boarding passenger flights for Hong Kong, so as to intercept the importation of cases.
The Government will review in due course whether the place-specific flight suspension mechanism should be lifted or continued by taking into account the latest global and local epidemic developments.
A Government spokesman said, "We understand that the place-specific flight suspension mechanism is an extremely stringent emergency measure, and will inevitably affect the return journeys of Hong Kong residents from these nine places. However, we must maintain the relevant measure so as to quickly quell the epidemic situation, in order to prevent imported cases from posing additional pressure on the medical system."
Ends/Friday, February 11, 2022
Issued at HKT 17:32
Issued at HKT 17:32
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