China: Authorities further ease COVID-19 gathering controls in Hong Kong from Feb. 24 /update 53

Event

Authorities have further eased gathering restrictions in Hong Kong as of Feb. 24 due to reduced COVID-19 activity. The new directive allows public gatherings of up to four people. Most nonessential businesses have reopened, though some establishments, including party and karaoke rooms, nightclubs, and swimming pools, remain closed. Restaurants must close dining services at 2200 daily and confirm that patrons check in using the Leave Home Safe mobile application or manually collect contact information. In-person classes at kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools have resumed; in-person classes remain capped at one-third of classroom capacity, with students attending one of two half-day sessions. Full-day classes are possible if teachers and staff of a particular school submit to regular COVID-19 testing. The government requires residents to wear facemasks in all public areas and on public transport.

Authorities continue to conduct mandatory testing for high-risk groups, including people who work or live at locations with reported outbreaks or employees in specific occupations. Officials also require residents that may have been exposed to COVID-19 to get tested. People who do not take required tests are subject to a fine of HKD 2,000 (USD 258); officials could impose a fine of up to HKD 25,000 (USD 3,224) or prison sentences of up to six months for individuals who repeatedly fail to get tested. The government intends to continue focused, short-duration lockdown orders in neighborhoods where officials suspect COVID-19 is spreading. Authorities usually select specific buildings within an area and prevent residents from leaving until testing is complete. Shutdowns can occur without notice and typically take place overnight.

Hong Kong has restricted land border crossings with mainland China indefinitely. Authorized travelers are only permitted entry at the Shenzhen Bay checkpoint and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Immigration processing centers at Ocean Terminal and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal remain closed. Increased absenteeism may continue, especially for employees who work in Hong Kong but reside in mainland China.

Officials are allowing some transit flights at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) if grouped in a single booking and the connection time is shorter than 24 hours. Airport Authority Hong Kong is permitting transit flights originating from mainland China until further notice under the same rules; transit flights to mainland China remain banned. Airlines have significantly reduced flights due to decreased demand; additional cancellations are likely.

Travel Restrictions
The government continues to ban all nonresident foreign nationals from entering the territory. Travelers from Macau, Taiwan, and mainland China can enter Hong Kong, provided they have not traveled elsewhere for 21 days. Travelers arriving from Macau and Guangdong Province seeking to avoid quarantine must make a reservation online and only enter via open border checkpoints. Officials have barred entry for individuals who have stayed in designated extremely high-risk countries Brazil, Ireland, South Africa, or the UK for more than two hours within 21 days of departure. As of Feb. 24, Hong Kong designates Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the UAE, and the US as very high-risk areas. Returning residents arriving from these locations and permitted travelers from extremely high-risk locations must provide evidence of a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure.

Officials require all arriving travelers, except those from mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan, to quarantine at a hotel for 21 days; travelers must present a hotel reservation for the entire period before boarding flights. All arriving travelers must undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Hong Kong and at the end of the quarantine period, if applicable. Officials will isolate and treat symptomatic passengers or people testing positive for COVID-19 at government-designated facilities. Authorities have exempted some mainland Chinese teachers, students, and business travelers whose activities officials deem economically beneficial to the territory from the mandatory quarantine, provided they test negative for COVID-19.

Officials are maintaining quarantine measures for crews of aircraft and maritime vessels indefinitely. Under these requirements, ships without cargo cannot exchange crews. On other ships, workers are no longer allowed to enter the territory and must travel directly to the airport after disembarking. Inbound ship crews and flight crew members must obtain a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours of departure for Hong Kong. Both airlines and shipping companies must arrange point-to-point transport for employees to limit interaction with the public.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by local health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments.

Resources

Hong Kong Government
Leave Home Safe