Hong Kong Drops Most Covid-19 Related Restrictions On Thursday

Hong Kong on Wednesday announced it would end on-arrival testing and vaccine pass requirement, which has been mandatory to enter many facilities, such as gyms and restaurants, effective Thursday.

Visitors to the city are only required to conduct a pre-departure PCR-RT test within 48 hours or a Rapid Antigen test within 24 hours. There are no other tests required, such as the daily RATs. However, the requirement of wearing a mask stays put even when walking outside.

Hong Kong had extremely strict entry quarantine requirements for most of the pandemic, and at one point, arrivals outside of China were required to quarantine for three weeks.

The on-arrival quarantine requirement was removed in late September, and I entered the city on one of the first flights:

Hong Kong No Quarantine Arrival Experience On September 26, 2022

Recent Hong Kong Entry Requirement Changes & My Experiences

• Hong Kong Drops Two PCR-RT Tests From Incoming Passengers From November 21, 2022
• Hong Kong Scraps Quarantine On September 26, 2022 – Requires 3 Days Of Medical Surveillance
• Hong Kong’s Updated Entry Requirements & Health Questionnaire Issue
• Hong Kong International Airport & Cathay Pacific The Wing (FIRST) And The Pier (BUSINESS) Lounge Experience On October 1, 2022
• Hong Kong Slightly Relaxes “0+3” & Expert Expects Removal Of Travel Curbs Summer Of 2023

Chinas Reopening

China Scraps Arrival Quarantine Effective January 8, 2023

Conclusion

It seems that the Hong Kong leadership was caught off guard by China’s reopening announcement earlier this week and had to end most covid-related restrictions hastily or left behind with the mainland.

When I spoke with hotel managers on my most recent visit, they clearly said the sector wouldn’t bounce back until the border with the mainland was fully reopened. Unfortunately, the exact date of this is still unclear.

The on-arrival PCR-RT and second test on day 3 have always been problematic, as you may test positive and have to quarantine in the city. So I am glad that these have been removed.