Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > Cathay Pacific | Cathay
Reload this Page >

HKG overnight transit during COVID-19 Lockdowns

HKG overnight transit during COVID-19 Lockdowns

Old Aug 5, 2020, 3:33 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: All Over
Programs: DL Gold, AA EXP, SPG Plat, Hilton Dia, Hyatt Glob, CC Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 574
HKG overnight transit during COVID-19 Lockdowns

Due to a schedule change, I now have an overnight layover (16 hours) in HKG for a flight at the end of October. What are the transit procedures for overnight transit? Will I have to stay in the terminal or can I check into a hotel?

I'm a US citizen if that enters into the equation.
jdawg is offline  
Old Aug 5, 2020, 4:04 pm
  #2  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
I would avoid transit at HKG for the moment, especially given that you are mostly a Do Not Admit.
garykung is offline  
Old Aug 5, 2020, 7:54 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 399
It is very likely that you need to stay in the terminal.
Reply1984 is offline  
Old Aug 5, 2020, 10:04 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,818
Yeah you're not allowed to enter HKG so you need to stay in the Terminal.
lcpteck is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 1:23 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Thailand
Programs: Marriott LT Titanium; IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 1,150
But the flight is the end of October.
Certainly the US will be on the list for low risk countries right
rebadc is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 3:41 am
  #6  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,495
Originally Posted by rebadc
But the flight is the end of October.
Certainly the US will be on the list for low risk countries right
Low or high risk will not make a difference in terms of transit. Nor does your citizenship (as long as you are allowed entry at your destination).

A current difference is that anyone who has visited or transited through a high-risk country must submit a recent covid test before boarding a flight to HK.
brunos is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 4:50 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 399
Originally Posted by rebadc
But the flight is the end of October.
Certainly the US will be on the list for low risk countries right
Asian countries take a different approach, that is to eliminate infection, so they are more cautious on border control and 'travel bubbles'. There are a few countries proposing travel bubbles, such as Australia-New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong etc, but almost all the plans are on hold since we get the second wave or third wave. Therefore, for Asian countries, almost all foreign countries are 'high-risk' places.

Simply speaking, we won't see the previous world before effective vaccines have been taken by the population.
Reply1984 is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 5:32 am
  #8  
889
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,090
"A current difference is that anyone who has visited or transited through a high-risk country must submit a recent covid test before boarding a flight to HK."

According to the Government website setting out the rules for travellers from High-Risk Countries, "A person who is in transit in Hong Kong, and a person exempted by the Chief Secretary for Administration from compulsory quarantine under section 4(1) of either the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C) or Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E) will not be affected."

https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/h...sk-places.html
889 is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 7:55 am
  #9  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,495
Originally Posted by 889
"A current difference is that anyone who has visited or transited through a high-risk country must submit a recent covid test before boarding a flight to HK."

According to the Government website setting out the rules for travellers from High-Risk Countries, "A person who is in transit in Hong Kong, and a person exempted by the Chief Secretary for Administration from compulsory quarantine under section 4(1) of either the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C) or Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E) will not be affected."

https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/h...sk-places.html
Interesting, I missed that.
So a person flying from the US to Philippines (or vice versa) can board without any test.
Not very safe from the perspective of pax and crew.
brunos is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 2:31 pm
  #10  
889
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,090
"Not very safe from the perspective of pax and crew."

"Not very safe" is the usual exaggeration of the risk the virus poses. Not much different than the risk anyone flying from the U.S. or the Philippines faces just being out and moving around in the U.S. or the Philippines.

I haven't seen any sources showing there's a higher risk aboard an aircraft. Indeed, while there have been several cases of flyers testing positive on arrival in Hong Kong, I don't recall one single case where a fellow passenger tested positive a few days later.
889 is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 3:48 pm
  #11  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,495
Originally Posted by 889
"Not very safe from the perspective of pax and crew."

"Not very safe" is the usual exaggeration of the risk the virus poses. Not much different than the risk anyone flying from the U.S. or the Philippines faces just being out and moving around in the U.S. or the Philippines.

I haven't seen any sources showing there's a higher risk aboard an aircraft. Indeed, while there have been several cases of flyers testing positive on arrival in Hong Kong, I don't recall one single case where a fellow passenger tested positive a few days later.
There has ben many cases. Lots of them. That's why they require quarantine on top of test on arrival
brunos is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 4:23 pm
  #12  
889
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,090
Can you provide some data supporting those cases: "lots of them" as you say. The Government puts out a lot of information regarding detected infections, and I don't recall any highlighting passengers who shared an aircraft with an infected passenger and five days or so later developed Covid. There have been around 600 cases of infection detected when testing asymptomatic arrivals (air and land), so if this were a serious risk you'd expect quite a large number of fellow passengers to have become infected.

As well, since you're familiar with the numbers, do you know how many of the 100,000 or so travellers who've undergone two-weeks' quarantine developed infection during quarantine? And at what point in quarantine did they develop infection? Those are key points to understanding the effectiveness of mandatory quarantine.
889 is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 7:03 pm
  #13  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Earth. Residency:HKG formerly:YYZ
Programs: CX, DL, Nexus/GE, APEC
Posts: 10,659
Originally Posted by brunos
Interesting, I missed that.
So a person flying from the US to Philippines (or vice versa) can board without any test.
Not very safe from the perspective of pax and crew.
Just what is needed, another loophole permitting transit at HKIA from one high-risk country to another.

Interesting that there are still many MNL +ve arrivals even with the "certified -ve test" 72 hrs before departure to HKG.
MSPeconomist likes this.
tentseller is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 9:18 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 946
There was a Wall Street Journal article about transmission risk on planes. The link is here (paywall): https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-gre...ly-11594824268

The key extract relevant to this discussion of certain testing requirements:

There are few known cases of transmission of coronavirus inside an airplane. Contact tracing after a flight March 31 between the U.S. and Taiwan with 12 symptomatic Covid-19 passengers on board revealed no onboard transmission among 328 other passengers and crew, according to an IATA report. A flight from China to Canada with one symptomatic passenger revealed no onboard transmission. However, preliminary research on a London-to-Vietnam flight on March 2 suggests that one passenger likely infected 14 others, 12 of whom were seated nearby.
CXYYZ is offline  
Old Aug 6, 2020, 9:33 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,263
Originally Posted by tentseller
Just what is needed, another loophole permitting transit at HKIA from one high-risk country to another.

Interesting that there are still many MNL +ve arrivals even with the "certified -ve test" 72 hrs before departure to HKG.
actually from what I read, these positive cases from Philippines detected these few days are only detected during the swab test done on day 10 of the quarantine. So there is still risk of infection.
sbs2716g is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.