Govt to issue ‘0+7’ quarantine arrangement next week: source

Hong Kong will announce next week at the earliest to cancel the hotel quarantine for inbound travellers to seven days of self-surveillance instead, according to a source.

The new format of ‘0+7’ is set to be announced next week, said the source.

It is also learned that the government also reviews the cancellation of requirements that ask arrivals to provide their negative results of the Covid test before they are on board. Instead, travellers only need to do the Covid test when arriving at the airport.

Arrangements will also be spared for new arrivals in hotel quarantine due to the current ‘3+4’ format when the new arrangement launches, like granting them to leave hotels accordingly.

Currently, arrivals must pay for three days in a hotel and follow that with four days of self-monitoring. The new rules will abolish the need for arrivals from overseas to do quarantine at designated hotels. Residents will be able to go straight home and self monitor for seven days.

In the press briefing on Tuesday morning, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the city would actively “connect with the world to allow an orderly opening-up”, including relaxing mandatory hotel quarantine.

Hong Kong still bans public groups of more than four people and masks are mandatory, even for children as young as two.

(Staff reporter and Reuters)