Arrival curbs eased again

Travelers arriving in Hong Kong starting yesterday will only need to undergo two PCR tests upon arrival as the government further relaxed anti-Covid measures.

Under secretary for health Libby Lee Ha-yun said the testing requirement for arrivals from overseas countries and Taiwan on days four and six will be canceled from Monday.

But arrivals are still required to undergo PCR tests at the airport and on day two upon arrival, as well as daily rapid tests for a week.

Lee said the government made the latest decision as statistics showed that more than 80 percent of imported cases were detected within two days after arriving in the SAR.

The positive rate of PCR tests on day 4 and day 6 was 0.4 percent and 0.1 percent respectively.

"As the incubation period of the Omicron variant is very short and that arrivals can walk around the city after being tested at the airport, if they test positive on day 4 or day 6 upon arrival, we cannot rule out the possibility that they were infected locally," Lee said.

"We believe the chance of them contracting the virus in the SAR is higher than the possibility they are imported cases."

Executive Council member Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung yesterday welcomed the government's latest move, saying it can help travelers make flexible arrangements for their trips and attract more visitors.

He also said a majority of patients could be found within two days upon arrival and the government has effectively canceled measures that are "inconvenient and unnecessary".

University of Hong Kong virologist Jin Dong-yan said Hong Kong did not see a rebound in outbreak after the SAR adopted the 0+3 arrangement and believes the caseload will not rise sharply after the government reduced the PCR test for arrivals.

He also said the PCR tests can be replaced by rapid tests as 98 percent of cases can be detected in PCR and rapid tests within three days of arrival.

The government will start to issue a new "transitional vaccine pass" to those who got the jab but haven't completed vaccination due to medical reasons.

Starting November 30, people aged above 12 have to receive three doses to enter public premises under the vaccine pass arrangement.

The new transitional pass will allow those who got vaccinated late due to medical reasons to enter the premises while waiting to get the next jab, Lee said.

Citizens who currently hold or have previously held a Covid-19 vaccine exemption certificate could bring along their jab waivers to vaccination centers starting Tuesday. After receiving their first or second dose there, they will receive a transitional vaccine pass.

The validity period of the transitional pass will start from the vaccination date until the date when they should receive the next dose, Lee said.

Lee also said BioNtech's Comirnaty Omicron BA.4-5 bivalent vaccine, which has been authorized by the advisory panel on Covid vaccines, will arrive in the SAR at the end of this month at the earliest.

The authorities aim to start administering the new jab to the public next month, providing another option for people who wish to receive the fourth jab.

"Adults who have been triple-jabbed are all eligible for the fourth jab, but we strongly recommended those aged above 50 to receive the fourth dose as soon as possible," Lee said.

She appealed to citizens who plan to travel overseas to get the fourth jab as soon as possible so that their bodies could produce sufficient antibodies before they leave the SAR.

But Lee said the government has no plan to require all citizens to get the fourth jab.

Hong Kong yesterday recorded 8,052 cases - 7,519 local and 533 imported, as well as 12 deaths.

Among local cases, five were carrying the XBB subvariant, one carried the XBD strain and 10 were infected with the BQ.1.1 subvariant of Omicron.

Health authorities received 1,101 positive reports from 678 schools, and 20 classes were suspended for a week.

Fifteen elderly homes and three disabled homes reported 24 infections, and 117 people were listed as close contacts.

Health authorities yesterday said close contacts at care homes can leave quarantine centers early after testing negative in two PCR tests on days 2 and 4 as well as a rapid test on day 5.

People can visit premises like hair salons, theme parks and museums without showing their vaccine pass at the entrance from yesterday, meaning amber health code holders can visit these places, but the government backtracked on easing such curbs to cinemas and skating rinks.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com