Originally Posted by Carfield

Antibody test will be available (for a fee) beginning August 18...

https://www.news.gov.hk/eng/2021/08/...62336_429.html

Carfield

Originally Posted by brunos

Let's see how long it will last. Numerous "experts" and government officials are asking for a tightening of quarantine rules given that most arriving positive PCR are fully vaccinated. That is expected as a vast majority of incoming pax have been vaccinated. Some mention that the PCR test they use turns some false positive for vaccinated pax depending on the vaccine used, but that is unclear yet.

Originally Posted by sbs2716g

So someone who was vaccinated was allow to leave the quarantine after 7 days but now tested positive on day 12. And she was running around during these 5 days with the delay variance.

So will HKG gov change it to 14 days quarantine once again?

Originally Posted by maalloc

Certainly a good argument to go back to 14/21 (and why not 28/35?) day quarantines…

That said, I’m also surprised to read on SCMP that this traveler was tested antibodies+ at the airport on Aug 1st. I thought antibodies testing at HKIA was only scheduled to start on the 18th…

Originally Posted by maalloc

Certainly a good argument to go back to 14/21 (and why not 28/35?) day quarantines…

That said, I’m also surprised to read on SCMP that this traveler was tested antibodies+ at the airport on Aug 1st. I thought antibodies testing at HKIA was only scheduled to start on the 18th…

Originally Posted by sbs2716g

Anyway it was reported that that maid draw blood in USA n the lab send back the sample to HK to do the antibodies test n gotten the report. Thus she was allowed to do only 7 days quarantine.

But apparently, this was not allowed as the test need to be done in HK before she leave.

Another screw up.

Originally Posted by TalkingPoint

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...dents-tourists

1. High Risk: Brazil, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa and the U.K.
2. Medium Risk: Everywhere outside of China that isn’t high- or low-risk, including the U.S., Singapore, Canada, Germany and Japan
3. Low Risk: Australia and New Zealand no quarantine required (for the few who can travel)

Should be welcome news for Cathay.

Article Text
Hong Kong will allow vaccinated tourists from all but 10 places in the world to enter the city starting on Aug. 9, a significant easing of some of the tightest border curbs in the world.

Vaccinated visitors from countries now considered “medium-risk” -- which includes the U.S. and Canada -- will be able to enter the city for the first time since the pandemic started. Meanwhile, Hong Kong residents from previously banned places like the U.K. and India can now return home.

Visitors and residents from medium-risk countries must spend seven days in hotel quarantine after they arrive. They will also be required to have a positive antibody test from a laboratory recognized by the Hong Kong government to prove they were vaccinated against Covid-19. Antibody testing facilities at the airport will be available starting in mid-August, according to a government statement.

The easing, first announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Monday without detail, also allows children who aren’t eligible for vaccination to leave hotel quarantine with their inoculated parents after seven days -- though they must then self-isolate at home for another two weeks.

The revived plan, first proposed in June, comes as Hong Kong tries to reopen its economy after nearly two months without local transmission, while keeping out the highly contagious delta strain that’s driving new outbreaks around the world.

Though low vaccination levels locally means that delta slipping into the city could quickly become catastrophic, the financial hub is also facing pressure from businesses to relax what are some of the most onerous travel curbs in the world. Rival hub Singapore has said it will ease travel curbs in September after an inoculation rate of 80% is achieved there.

“This is a very positive step to help Hong Kong get back to the crucial connectivity it needs as an international business center, while remaining vigilant about Covid-19,” said Tara Joseph, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
The easing leaves only 10 places in the world, including the U.K., India and Brazil, where non-residents remain banned. For these “high-risk” places, only fully inoculated residents can return and they must serve a hotel quarantine period of 21 days.

The Hong Kong government also dialed up the pressure on the local population to get vaccinated, saying that only schools which achieve a 70% vaccination level among students in the grade can fully resume in-person teaching in September. Teachers must also get inoculated or go for regular testing at their own expense, officials said Monday.

Hong Kong has fully vaccinated 2.5 million people -- about 33% of its population. That’s compared to 61% of residents who had completed vaccination in Singapore, 48% in London and 54% in New York City.

Vaccine bookings jumped on Monday after officials announced the easing, with the number of people reserving slots to get the Sinovac Biotech Ltd. shot growing to 6,600 on Monday from 4,200 on Sunday and those for the BioNTech SE vaccine rising to 41,600 from 23,100 a day ago.

Originally Posted by Arbeysix

What is the HKG government's strategy with COVID? At what % vaccine coverage will they relax quarantine requirements? Other countries have plans/strategies on these issues but haven't heard anything from HKG even though the vaccination campaign has been in progress for a long time now.