The third chartered flight arranged by the Government to bring back Hong Kong residents who were passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship arrived in Hong Kong today.

There were five Hong Kong residents on the flight.

All of them were transferred to the quarantine centre at Chun Yeung Estate for the 14-day quarantine observation.

Together with the 188 Hong Kong residents who returned via the last two chartered flights, the three government-chartered flights brought a total of 193 Hong Kong residents home.

Director of Immigration Erick Tsang, who is in charge of the repatriation operation, Under Secretary for Security Sonny Au and most members of the task force, including officers of the Security Bureau, the Immigration Department, Department of Health and the Hospital Authority also took the flight home.

As of yesterday, there were a total of 634 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise, of which 68 were Hong Kong residents. They are under treatment in Japan. 

Japanese authorities on February 22 arranged all passengers who are close contacts of confirmed cases, including about 30 Hong Kong residents, to continue their quarantine at land-based quarantine facilities for 14 days counting from the day of the last contact with the confirmed cases.

The Government is proactively following up on feasible options to bring those who have tested negative for COVID-19, are asymptomatic and fit for travelling back to Hong Kong.

Several Immigration Department officers are staying in Japan to assist those who are receiving medical treatment. The department will send another 10 officers there to visit the patients and help their close contacts.