Given that a new virus variant with higher transmissibility has been found in the United Kingdom, the Government today amended the laws to tighten the compulsory quarantine requirements for people arriving in Hong Kong from the UK.

The Government explained that the global pandemic is getting more serious and it has to stay vigilant for preventing the importation of COVID-19 cases.

It has gazetted the amendments to the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap 599C), the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap 599E) and the Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation (Cap 599H) as well as the specifications to tighten compulsory quarantine requirements for people arriving in Hong who have stayed in the UK.

The newly amended regulations will provide the legal framework which allows the Secretary for Food & Health (SFH) to, having regard to the extent and pattern of the spread of the disease in a certain place and the public health risk posed to Hong Kong by people who arrive in Hong Kong having recently stayed there, specify the periods for which different categories of people who arrive in Hong Kong from a certain place would need to undergo compulsory quarantine up to a maximum of 28 days.

The newly amended regulations will also allow the SFH to, having regard to the above factors, specify the relevant period of different categories of people who arrive in Hong Kong from a certain place, up to a maximum of 28 days.

Targeting the new virus variant with higher transmissibility recently found in the UK, the SFH, taking into account expert advice, has exercised the power under the newly amended regulations to make relevant specifications, which took effect from midnight today.

Under the relevant specifications, all people who have stayed in the UK for more than two hours on the day of boarding or during the 21 days before that day are not be allowed to board for Hong Kong.

People arriving in Hong Kong who have stayed in the UK on the day of arrival at Hong Kong or during the 21 days before that day have to undergo compulsory quarantine for 21 days in designated quarantine hotels.

As for those who arrived in Hong Kong during the period of December 2 to 23, if they have stayed in the UK and are placed under compulsory quarantine in Hong Kong, they still have to undergo testing at a community testing centre or the designated quarantine hotel on the 19th or 20th day following their arrival in Hong Kong.

They must also stay at their place of residence, private premises or the place of quarantine specified on the quarantine order.