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Hong Kong signals tighter COVID-19 restrictions
October 28th 2021
Hong Kong’s government intends to its tighten COVID-19 restrictions to bring them into line with rules in China in a bid to open quarantine-free travel with the Mainland. Read More » Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) chief executive, Carrie Lam, announced the decision on Tuesday despite worries about the implications of the rule change expressed by local businesses. Most arrivals to the HKSAR must spend 14 to 21 days in hotel quarantine although there have been some high-profile exemptions such as actress Nicole Kidman, who was in Hong Kong to film scenes for an upcoming movie. "Soon we will ... announce that most of the quarantine exemptions granted to specific groups of visitors coming from overseas and the Mainland will be cancelled," Hong Kong media quoted Lam as saying. Only essential workers such as cross-border truck drivers will be allowed to make quarantine-free trips, she said. The announcement followed an Asia Securities and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA) warning on Monday that the new rules threatened to undermine the city’s status as a financial hub. ASIFMA said a survey of members, including some of the world's largest banks and asset managers, revealed 48% of respondents were contemplating moving staff or functions away from Hong Kong due to operational challenges, including uncertainty about travel and quarantine restrictions.
