NickB

So, down to 0+3 now. While not quite 0+0, tourist visits to HK start to become feasible again.

Nicc HK

Having started this thread over 2 years ago, I never expected things to last so long, and I am so pleased it has not got to 1,000 messages.

Wonderful that the remaiing restrictions are almost gone and down to 0+3.

I cannot wait to see this thread permanently retired so people can get back to almost normality.

dw

This is a good step forward. But the four PCR tests on and after arrival will probably still deter most leisure and non-necessary business travel. Hopefully there will be more to come shortly.

B-HQC

Great news, but I’m struggling to find clear details in how the testing is going to work. What happens if you test positive on arrival or on one of the later pcr tests? Quarantine camp? Hotel quarantine? For how long? Will you be allowed to leave?

CXYYZ

The short answer is that you would be treated the same as any other person reporting/receiving a positive test result.

The QR code in your LeaveHomeSafe app would automatically turn red and you would be issued an order to isolate at home/hotel. There is a continuing caveat that the health authorities may determine your place of residence to be unsuitable for isolation, in which case you would be sent to an isolation facility (a designated hotel or a facility such as Penny’s Bay).

The minimum isolation period is currently 7 days for people with 2+ vaccine doses and ends only when you test negative (on rapid test) on days 6 or 7 (or on two consecutive days if you aren’t negative by days 6 & 7).

Penalties for violating isolation orders (e.g. popping out to 7-Eleven to grab supplies) are severe.

SCMP summary can be found here: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ly-axing-hotel

sfvoyage

This will likely be a big deterrent for the casual inbound tourist under this new 0+3 scheme. It's not difficult to test positive even with proper and consistent mask usage, especially after the trip to HKG involving airports and a long flight. Personally I'll wait till the testing requirements will be dropped before my next visit to HK.

Topcare

should be in some sort of sticky as a warning.

carrotjuice

Isn't the recent announcement to ditch quarantine the most half-baked attempt at reopening HK?



A whopping 4 PCRs. ​​​​​​Plus daily ART/RAT for pre departure and on first 7 days - even on days that you’re taking the PCR (baffling)! And can't eat at restaurants for the first 3 days. And anytime your PCR is positive, you’re subject to quarantine, including possibility of being shipped off to the infamous Penny Bay. How to attract tourists like that?!

CXYYZ

There is literally zero talk of tourism as a factor at this time. The issues are:

• Finance conference in November where key execs refused to attend if they needed to quarantine and many refused to accept an exemption from quarantine. Viability of the Rugby Sevens and other marquee events is also at play.
• Enabling critical inbound business travel
• Reducing local discontent over what are now seen as excessive COVID measures

Each of these items is aimed at stemming the outflow of businesses and residents. Yes, these are half-baked half measures but they are relatively effective in allowing for the resumption of outbound travel and to enable inbound travel people that have a real need to come in, despite the risk/hassle factor.

Despite HK’s marketing as “Asia’s world city,” the vast majority of pre-pandemic tourists were from mainland China (78% in 2018, the last “normal” year). With continuing restrictions in mainland China, HK doesn’t have the ability to fully revive its own tourism industry. Do expect arrivals of mainland Chinese people to increase though - more of them will see HK as a viable staging ground on their returns to mainland cities.

HK clearly isn’t going to fully drop all restrictions and there are major problems that probably rank as higher priority issues than remaining entry requirements and these have not been softened at all. These include continued disruption of in-class schooling, ban on outdoor gatherings of > 4 people, arbitrary limits on restaurant/bar operating hours and capacity, bans on selected types of music performances, performative COVID testing obligations, excessive mask obligations, etc., etc., etc.

Reply1984

The local social distancing measures are much more annoying than 0+3 arrangements for tourists...They need to drop almost all of them to attract leisure visitors back to the city, while the current 0+3 or 0+0 may not make a big difference.

moondog

I've now gotten completely used to near-daily PCR tests in Shanghai. They are free (there was talking about charging a tiny amount for them starting in July, but that never happened), they usually take less than thirty seconds, and testing centers are ubiquitous now (i.e. you are certain to pass my many by simply being out and about). Ten swabs per tube is increasingly standard now, though, which means if a single person in your batch tests positive, all ten get bad news. Fortunately, I have yet to receive "bad news" myself. This could change after they open the flood gates again next year.

Are PCR tests in HK also free and widely available? I read somewhere that Macau now charges 2000 MOP for the entire set during quarantine. I suppose I could suck that up, but shelling out $50 per test would definitely become pricy if they want daily testing.

Nicc HK

1. For people covered by quarantine orders or required by the government PCR tests are free at Community Centres
2. For people wanting a PCR test themselves the fee at Community Centres is capped at HK$240. Private practices are free to charge what they want.
3. Link is www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/faq/
4. I have been taking the RAT test daily for my QO including on days told to take a PCR test. Used it as an indicator on the PC test itself and daily uploaded to the EMSS site

The thing that has had me concerned since getting back is that I seem more likely to catch COVID locally after Day 4 on return. Nice to see the app go blue though.

carrotjuice

This is what I truly don't understand with the testing obsessiveness by the HK government. Isn't PCR already a more accurate gauge of infection than RAT, if so why even bother with RAT on the same day and why is this supposed "indicator" necessary? Back when SG had such a requirement at the height of Omicron, no ART is required on days which a PCR is required, which makes better sense.

moondog

We used to take RATs back in April and May because if you tested positive, you could skip out on PCR tests until your RAT results became negative. A single positive PCR would reset the 14 clock for the entire community. I'm not sure the boys up north aproved of this approach, but it was semi official locally. Remember, the vast majority of our infections were asymptomatic and and went away on their own.

carrotjuice

Well that may be a pragmatic approach to "avoid" taking PCR... but this is a totally different situation, where PCR is mandatory on days 2, 4 and 6, so no escape there...