New Delhi: As covid cases come down in Hong Kong, the government is going to ease restrictions and allow non-residents into its financial hub for the first time in the past two years from May. It is a small step towards unwinding the stringent guidelines that made it one of the most isolated places since the beginning of the pandemic, reported news agency Reuters.
Hong Kong’s rules for airlines that carry covid-19 infected passengers will also be eased with the threshold for suspending flights to five infected persons from the current number of three, the government said on Friday.
While the ban on individual airline routes will be reduced to five from seven, the foreign travelers will be subjected to the same procedure as the residents.
Hong Kong’s daily covid tally has come down significantly with less than 1,000 cases down from the peak of more than 70,000 cases on March 3.
Hong Kong borders have been closed since early 2020 with very few flights and week-long quarantines being in force for arrivals. According to Reuters, very few flights land in Hong Kong, and that too from mainland China and a few other Asian cities.
Meanwhile, this week, 11 flights were banned from airlines including Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qantas, and KLM, according to government records. There have been more than 70 flight bans so far this year, Reuters reported.
On April 1, Hong Kong lifted the ban on flights arriving from nine countries including US and Britain. It also reduced the quarantine limit from 14 days to seven for passengers. However, very few flights can still operate amid stringent covid-19 restrictions.
On Thursday, Hong Kong reopened gyms, beauty parlours, theme parks, and cinemas for the first time in four months.