The Government today announced that it will gazette the new specifications to impose conditions on travellers who visited Turkey within 14 days before arriving in Hong Kong to combat the epidemic more effectively.

The Food & Health Bureau said the global COVID-19 epidemic situation is becoming increasingly severe, with the daily number of new cases rising from around 70,000 to 100,000 between late March and mid-May, to around 160,000 to 180,000 in late June.

The figures rose to around 220,000 to 290,000 in late July and further increased to around 550,000 in October.

In view of the severe global pandemic situation, Hong Kong cannot afford to drop its guard on entry prevention and control measures, the bureau added.

The Government had earlier introduced the Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation (Cap 599H) to impose testing and quarantine conditions on travellers coming to Hong Kong from very high-risk places to reduce the health risk they may bring to the city.

The Secretary for Food & Health previously published in the gazette specifications on the relevant measures applicable to Bangladesh, Belgium, Ethiopia, France, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, the UK and US.

New specifications will be gazetted to maintain the conditions imposed and include Turkey as a specified place with effect from November 13.

Travellers who have stayed in the specified places 14 days before arriving in Hong Kong must provide documents showing they tested negative for COVID-19 and their reservation for a hotel in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, the Government will impose conditions on travellers who visited any country outside the Mainland, excluding very high-risk areas specified otherwise, within 14 days before arriving in Hong Kong to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to household members during their home quarantine.

They must provide confirmation of a hotel reservation in Hong Kong for not less than 14 days from the day of arrival.

The measure will also come into effect on November 13.

The aircraft operator should submit a document to the Department of Health, confirming that each traveller has produced the reservation document before being checked in for the flight to Hong Kong.

Those who are in transit in Hong Kong or exempt from compulsory quarantine will not be affected.

Any traveller coming to Hong Kong who fails to comply with the requirement to provide information is liable to a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for six months.