The Government announced today that it will maintain the measure to restrict people who have stayed in extremely high-risk specified places from boarding flights for Hong Kong.

The 21-day compulsory quarantine requirement will also continue for people arriving at the city who have stayed in places outside China.

The decisions were made in view of the developments of the global COVID-19 epidemic situation.

The Government gazetted the relevant specification that all people who have stayed in extremely high-risk Group A specified places for more than two hours on the day of boarding or during 21 days before that day are not allowed to board for Hong Kong.

The Government explained that it will maintain such precautionary measures due to the emergence of different new virus variants in Brazil, Ireland, South Africa and the United Kingdom which may be much more transmissible according to experts' preliminary assessment, and in view of their already prevalent spread in those places.

For the very high-risk Group B specified places and the medium to high-risk Group C specified places, the Government also considers that current boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements for the relevant places should continue.

All people arriving at Hong Kong, either via the airport or land boundary control points, who have stayed in places outside China on the day of arrival in Hong Kong or during the 21 days before that day have to undergo compulsory quarantine for 21 days in designated quarantine hotels.

Those arriving at Hong Kong who have stayed in Group B specified places must also present proof of a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result conducted within 72 hours before the aircraft’s scheduled departure time.