Hong Kong cuts ban time for airlines, offers home vaccination

Hong Kong has cut the amount of time airlines are banned from the city for carrying excessive numbers of Covid-positive passengers to seven days from two weeks as it slowly eases some of the world’s strictest anti-pandemic measures. 

The so-called circuit-breaker mechanism that bans airlines if they carry four cases or more travelers from the same airport of origin within a week has been scrapped, according to a statement released by the Hong Kong government late Saturday. 

Most other existing triggers remain under the revised rules. Bans can be meted out if three or more Covid cases are found on the same flight, or one confirmed infection and another non-compliant one are discovered.

“On the premise of continuing the measures to guard against the importation of cases, the government requires that all airlines must stringently enforce the boarding requirements for inbound travelers, so as to reduce the risk of importation of cases as far as practicable,” the government said in a statement. “And will continue to impose the flight suspension mechanism against specific non-compliant routes based on the streamlined triggering criteria.”

The revised airline rules kick in April 1, the day a flight ban on nine countries is lifted and quarantine is halved to seven days from 14.

The Hong Kong government also announced the implementation of a special Covid screening arrangement starting March 29. Travelers will be subject to an additional rapid polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid test at the airport before they can check in for flights to China. Passengers will need to undergo the test at least five to six hours prior to the scheduled time of departure.

The government will also boost its inoculation drive, particularly among the older people. The city will start a home vaccination program for elderly or disabled residents in the coming weeks, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a press briefing on Sunday. 

Authorities will offer vaccinations for older or disabled residents at public housing estates where compulsory testing will be carried out in restricted areas.  

Hong Kong is experiencing one of the deadliest outbreaks of the entire pandemic, after being largely Covid-free for two years. Since January there have been more than 7,000 fatalities, the vast majority being unvaccinated elderly. 

The city on Sunday reported 8,037 new infections and 151 deaths.