China-to-Hong Kong travelers will no longer need quarantine

HONG KONG — Travelers arriving in Hong Kong from China will no longer need to quarantine, Hong Kong’s high loyal said Tuesday, easing curbs imposed after summer season outbreaks of the coronavirus on the mainland.

Initiating Wednesday, these who haven’t been to medium- or high-possibility areas on the mainland or Macao can enter the metropolis, capped at 2,000 travelers day-to-day, chief executive Carrie Lam said in a news convention. Travelers will level-headed need a detrimental COVID-19 test ahead of arrival and must pick several assessments while in Hong Kong to invent obvious that they’re not contaminated.

Hong Kong halted quarantine-free jog back and forth in early August and imposed a needed quarantine duration of seven or 14 days, searching on the traveler’s vaccination station. Hong Kong’s “zero-COVID” approach has viewed authorities impose strict border restrictions and ban flights from extremely high-possibility countries, in the hopes that no local group spread would enable it to reopen borders with mainland China.

Within the meantime, China has strict border restrictions that enable highest Chinese language nationals or these with legitimate build of abode permits and visas to enter the nation, and all travelers are required to quarantine as a minimal 14 days. For the reason that initiating build of the pandemic, most Hong Kongers haven’t been ready to freely enter mainland China.

Restrictions will ease extra subsequent Wednesday, when mainland residents will be ready to enter the metropolis with out quarantine by strategy of the Shenzhen Bay port and by strategy of the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Bridge, capped at 1,000 company every, Lam said. These company will additionally need to test detrimental before traveling.

The changes, piece of the “Come2HK” knowing announced Wednesday, are expected to spice up the metropolis’s tourism replace, which took a beating throughout months of political strife in 2019 and pandemic-related border restrictions. Vacationer numbers fell by as unprecedented as 99% in 2020 in contrast with pre-pandemic ranges.