(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan today said exemptions from compulsory quarantine include cross-boundary students and those whose business activities are in the interest of Hong Kong’s economic development.

During a media session, Prof Chan said she had recommended exemptions to the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap 599C) after considering the COVID-19 epidemic’s development, requests received from different people, as well as the city’s services gradually returning to normal.

Noting that the current legislation already contained exemption categories, she said: “We recommended (exemptions) at the Executive Council meeting this morning - and it passed, which we will gazette very soon - the Chief Secretary to exempt persons who fulfil the following criteria from compulsory quarantine.

“(The) first (category includes) persons who need to travel to Hong Kong for the purpose of receiving nursery, kindergarten, primary or secondary education at any school registered under the Education Ordinance (Cap 279) in Hong Kong, or for the provision of such education or safe travelling, including cross-boundary students, as well as related personnel and service providers.

“Another category is persons who have manufacturing operations or business activities, or provide professional services and their travelling is considered to be in the interest of Hong Kong’s economic development.”

The Government has published in the Gazette the amendments of the Prevention & Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap 599) and its subsidiary legislation, which come into effect at midnight.