Hong Kong and China: Everything you need to know about testing and quarantine as rules change

Hong Kong has scrapped on-arrival COVID-19 constraints for travellers and ditched its virus tracing application.

As of today (Wednesday 14 December), visitors to the metropolis will be equipped to quickly pay a visit to dining establishments, gyms and bars.

Right until now, they have been matter to a 3-working day publish-arrival ban from such venues.

The easing comes times immediately after mainland China loosened its harsh COVID zero coverage and a little bit eased its limitations on global travellers. 

What are Hong Kong’s new travel guidelines?

On Tuesday, the city authorities introduced the elimination of the ‘amber code’ evaluate beforehand used to intercontinental arrivals. 

Arriving people now have no motion limitations but they want to do a PCR COVID test on arrival and once more two times following arriving.

Hong Kong’s govt has also ditched a mandatory COVID-19 check out-in application. Beforehand, people and visitors alike experienced to use the application to check in at venues from gyms to offices.

Hong Kong chief John Lee explained that global guests no more time posed a huge risk.

“The infection risk from imported circumstances is lessen than the possibility from community bacterial infections,” he explained.

The metropolis scrapped mandatory resort quarantine in September. 

What are China’s most up-to-date COVID-19 vacation regulations?

Mainland China nonetheless has some of the strictest COVID regulations in the earth. Having said that, the government has recently relaxed its pandemic restrictions right after nationwide protests in opposition to its harsh COVID zero policy.

As of previously this month, folks with Covid who have delicate or no signs can now isolate at household, relatively than in point out services.

Despite the accelerated opening-up, China’s borders stay shut to most foreign nationals.

It is nonetheless difficult to journey to China – but flight bans, tests, and quarantine procedures were eased past month. 

Passengers on inbound flights to the Asian state will now need to show only one particular damaging PCR examination taken in 48 hrs right before boarding, in accordance to the observe released by China’s Countrywide Health Fee. Previously two destructive PCR assessments were being expected.

Worldwide arrivals now have to have to quarantine for 8 times as an alternative of ten, although officials will no for a longer period file secondary contacts for tracing – letting quite a few to keep away from quarantine.

In the November announcement, the controversial ‘circuit breaker’ mechanism was also ended.

This substantially-criticised rule intended that all intercontinental flights to China could be banned for a person to two weeks when a “high” range of infected travellers were being uncovered on arrival.

It frequently led to flights getting cancelled at the last minute, producing substantial disruption for travellers.

Lots of often had to wait many months or even months right before getting seats on a flight to China.

What are COVID situations like in China proper now?

The new quarantine regulations adjustments come amid a COVID surge in China.

COVID cases have risen to their greatest degree in months – all around 30,000 for each working day.

The state is 1 of the past in the globe to abandon COVID zero coverage.  Beijing’s zero-COVID coverage saved lives, with China being property to 18 for each cent of the world’s population, but it has hammered the economy and intensely restricted citizens’ life.

Nationwide protests started out immediately after 10 people today – who ended up locked in a constructing owing to anti COVID measures – died in a hearth in Xinjiang previous month. Some of the victims have been sealed in their flats and the building’s fireplace exits were locked.

China’s authorities have insisted that the reopening is unrelated to the protests.