Hong Kong International Airport has officially announced that it will ban transit passengers from 150 countries from Sunday (16/1/2022). This decision tightened travel controls in an effort to stem the spread of the omicron variant that is currently roaming the world.
Furthermore, the authorities have also said that they will extend social distancing restrictions, including a ban on eating out after 6pm for the next two weeks. This rule will be in effect during the Lunar New Year holiday until February 3.
Not only that, [the Hong Kong government will also cancel several large-scale events, such as the Lunar New Year exhibition which is held every year in Hong Kong.
Transit bans and extended distancing rules were implemented as the city grapples with the coronavirus outbreak, with most cases traced to two Cathay Pacific crew members who had violated isolation rules and ate at restaurants and bars in the city prior to testing.
Over the past two weeks, authorities have locked down several residential buildings across the city and tested thousands of people en masse as they try to stamp out the omicron infection.
"We are concerned that there may be asymptomatic Hong Kong operators remaining in the community," Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said during a press conference Friday (1/14/2022), as quoted by AP.
He then added, "So, our assessment on this basis is still the risk of an outbreak."
Airline passengers who have stayed in more than 150 places deemed "high risk" in the past 21 days, including the United States and the United Kingdom, will be barred from transiting Hong Kong from January 16 to February 15.
According to a notice posted by the Hong Kong Airport authority. More than 50 local infections have been reported in the community since late 2021. Prior to that, Hong Kong had gone three months without community transmission and had been in talks with the mainland to resume quarantine-free travel with the rest of China.
Last week, Hong Kong imposed a two-week ban on inbound flights from the US, Canada, Australia, France, Britain, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. Then, last week Hong Kong also banned eating after 6pm and ordered public places, such as museums, cinemas, gyms and libraries to close.
