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Hong Kong to comprehensively tighten quarantine exemption arrangements

(Xinhua) 09:27, November 02, 2021

HONG KONG, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced Monday that quarantine exemption arrangements will be comprehensively tightened with effect from Nov. 12.

In accordance with the announcement, the HKSAR government will cancel the exemption arrangements for most of the exemption categories of persons upon arrival in Hong Kong.

Only categories that are necessary to maintain the continuing functioning of the community and supply of necessities will be retained, such as cross-boundary goods vehicle/coach drivers, crew members of aircraft, sea crew of cargo vessels loading/unloading in Hong Kong, government officials, etc.

The HKSAR government will also require consular and diplomatic officers carrying out governmental duties (except for consuls general or representatives in Hong Kong at equivalent/higher level) who have stayed in overseas places during the 21 days prior to arrival in Hong Kong to be subject to self-isolation at designated quarantine hotels during a specified period. Home isolation is not allowed.

On the other hand, consuls general or representatives in Hong Kong at equivalent/higher level must be subject to self-isolation at accommodation and are not allowed to leave the self-isolation location as well as come into contact with the public throughout the specified period.

"The new measures will strengthen the prevention of importation of cases and tackle the threat posed by mutant strains by further minimising the chance of transmission of the virus from imported cases into the community so as to foster favourable conditions for resuming cross-boundary travel with the mainland and cross-border travel in the future," a government spokesperson said.

The HKSAR government also announced to strengthen monitoring on exempted persons. "Any breach of exemption conditions will result in revocation of the exemption status and the relevant persons will be transferred to the quarantine centers for compulsory quarantine," the spokesperson added. 

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)

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