Hong Kong may reduce quarantine for vaccinated residents returning from Singapore, UK

Hong Kong residents returning home from Singapore or the UK may have quarantine requirements reduced if they are fully vaccinated. TTR Weekly reports that officials in Hong Kong are considering reducing quarantine for Singapore and UK arrivals who test positive for Covid-19 antibodies.

Hong Kong currently has one of the longest mandatory quarantine requirements in the world, at 21 days. All arrivals are subject to the 21-day quarantine, which must be spent in a designated hotel, at their own expense.

It’s understood the proposed reduction to 7 days would apply to Hong Kong residents, including those who hold work visas, returning from so-called high-risk Group B and medium-risk Group C countries. Hong Kong is currently using a 5-tier system to categorise the Covid-19 situation in other countries. Along with Singapore and the UK, Thailand currently sits in the high-risk Group B category.

It’s understood health officials in Hong Kong are currently running trials on Covid-19 antibody tests, which can confirm if someone has been either vaccinated or has recovered from the virus. Any reduction in mandatory quarantine will depend on when these tests can be rolled out.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s vaccine rollout is being ramped up after a sluggish start. The territory has administered 3.2 million doses as of June 20. Hong Kong has recorded 11,890 infections and 210 since the start of the pandemic.

SOURCE: TTR Weekly