The Government announced today that Finland, Ghana, Korea, Norway and Saudi Arabia will be specified as Group A specified places from December 5 and non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed in such places within 21 days are not allowed to enter the city.

The Government made the decision after imported Omicron cases were detected in these countries.

With regard to Hong Kong residents who have stayed in such countries within 21 days, they can only board a flight for Hong Kong if they have been fully vaccinated and hold a recognised vaccination record.

They must also undergo compulsory quarantine in a designated quarantine hotel for 21 days upon arrival, with six tests to be conducted during quarantine, followed by compulsory testing in a community testing centre on the 26th day of arrival at Hong Kong.

Additionally, to further enhance the management of transit passengers and surveillance of the virus, from December 8, all passengers who board a flight from overseas places and Taiwan for transit in Hong Kong are required to present at boarding a negative result proof of a polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid test for COVID-19 with specimen collected within 72 hours before the scheduled time of departure.

To minimise the chance of cross-infection with other outbound travellers for overseas places, the Government has recommended the Airport Authority to further tighten its arrangements for transit passengers during their stay in the airport.

These include stepping up the infection control measures for places within the airport restricted area where transit passengers may have access to and tighten the segregation arrangements for transit passengers who require long waiting times for connecting flights.

The Government will gazette the updated specifications under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation to effect such measures.