Government may shorten 21-day quarantine for those vaccinated: David Hui Shu-cheong

Government advisor David Hui Shu-cheong said the government is considering to shorten the length of quarantine for those vaccinated so that overseas businessmen are still willing to come to Hong Kong.

Travellers currently are required to undergo a 21-day quarantine and three virus tests upon their arrivals. 

The pandemic situation of countries will be assessed and categorized as areas with high, mid or low risk. Vaccinated travellers might only need to undergo a 14-day quarantine or even a 7-day quarantine if they are from areas with low risk. 

Hui added that it is not a good time to relax social distancing measures now, or there will be a rebound and the government's travel bubbles scheme can't ever launch. 

He also suggested that the government should consider relaxing social distancing measures only after the number of local cases hits zero for some days. 

The government earlier announced the Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble but the arrangement has been deferred due to the unstable Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong. 

Recently the number of the confirmed cases remained low and the fourth wave of the Covid-19 infection in Hong Kong is near its end, according to Hui. 

Yet the infection appeared at Tuen Mun public housing blocks showed that invisible virus chains exist in the community, Hui said in a radio program. 

He added that the structure of old public estate is one of the problems that cannot be dealt with in a short period. 

Yesterday two cases were found at Block 3 of Oi Fai House in Yau Oi Estate, Tuen Mun. 

He encouraged the public to get their jabs so that the city can achieve the goal of herd immunity as soon as possible, as Hong Kong only marks an 8 percent vaccination rate as of now.