The Department of Health today announced that the health quarantine arrangements on inbound travellers from overseas will be further extended and adjusted in response to the latest global COVID-19 situation.

Following the Government's announcement of the Red Outbound Travel Alert issued on European countries in the Schengen Area, the Department of Health will strengthen health quarantine measures on people arriving from these countries.

The adjustments were made as the capacity of quarantine facilities in Hong Kong is limited at the moment and the Government has decided that the current quarantine centres need to be reserved for close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

People arriving in Hong Kong who have been to Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do in Korea (also applicable to non-Hong Kong residents from midnight on March 17), Iran and the Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto regions in Italy in the past 14 days need to stay in a quarantine centre.

From midnight tomorrow, people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to Italy (except the Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto regions), Bourgogne-Franche-Comte and Grand Est regions in France, North Rhine-Westphalia region in Germany, Hokkaido in Japan and La Rioja, Madrid and Pais Vasco regions in Spain in the past 14 days will be subject to compulsory home quarantine.

Starting from midnight on March 17, people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to Korea (except Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do) and the Schengen Area will be subject to compulsory home quarantine as well.

The Department of Health also noted that imported cases from the UK, US, India and Egypt have also been recorded in Hong Kong, indicating community transmissions in these countries.

It urged those currently outside of Hong Kong - in particular those studying in Europe or America - to return to the city as soon as possible if they have plans to return.

Local airlines are planning to adjust their carrying capacity to address the demand of flights to Hong Kong, it added.