Hong Kong lifting flight ban

Hong Kong plans to lift its flight ban on nine countries this week, signalling a shift from its ‘zero Covid’ policy.

Fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents from the UK, Australia, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and the US will be allowed to board flights to Hong Kong from 1 April, provided that they have proof of a negative PCR test.

Travellers will still need to quarantine in a hotel upon arrival in Hong Kong, but this will be cut to seven days from 14.

The city’s leader Carrie Lam announced the news at a press conference last week, stating that the flight ban is causing distress to Hong Kong people stranded overseas and is also having an impact on the city’s businesses.

She also announced that restrictions on social gatherings, mask-wearing and business and venue operations will begin to ease in three phases from 20 April.

www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/inbound-travel.html

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OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Keith Wallis, England

It's worth pointing out that easing of restrictions only returns the situation back to mostly how it was in December. And AsiaWorld Expo, the on-airport exhibition centre that's due to host the IATA World Cargo Symposium at the end of September is currently being used as a Covid-19 isolation facility. A lot has to change in terms of flight schedules, quarantining and day-to-day Covid restrictions before life in HK could be considered anywhere normal.