Hong Kong Update for Travellers and Others

Get travel advice and stay on top of the latest developments in Hong Kong affecting the airport, public transport, public safety and other issues. Details here.

Public Health Response Plan Activated

Hong Kong health authorities continue to monitor developments regarding the emergence of an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus. A dedicated webpage has been set up to provide relevant information and health advice. Details here.

New measures to curb COVID-19

March 27, 2020 – The Hong Kong SAR Government announced new regulations to combat the spread of COVID-19. These measures, aimed at enforcing social distancing, include a ban on gatherings of more than four people in a public place,  and the closure of all entertaining and amusement premises. Speaking at a press conference, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said there will be exemptions for the four-person limit regulation such as in the workplace and at weddings. This regulation will come into effect for 14 days from March 29. Under a second regulation, restaurants are required only to serve half their capacity of customers and venues such as cinemas, fitness centers, and amusement game centers will close for two weeks, beginning March 28. All country park barbecue sites and campsites managed by the government will also be closed starting from March 28 through April 11. Details here.

Addition local mask production lines approved 

March 27, 2020 – Six additional local mask production lines are now approved under the Local Mask Production Subsidy Scheme. Each line is expected to supply an average of between one to two million masks from April onwards. Together with the two production lines approved last week, a total of eight production lines have been approved under the scheme. This is one of the Hong Kong SAR Government’s initiatives under the Anti-epidemic Fund to help address the shortage of masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Details here.

Postal services to US adjusted 

March 27, 2020 – Due to substantial reduction in flight frequencies or even cancellation of flights, the time needed for handing in posted items to airlines is subject to considerable delays of more than two weeks, according to Hongkong Post. All airmail delivery services, including Speedpost, to the United States are subject to delays. Details here.

Hong Kong people in Hubei returned safely

March 26, 2020 – A total of 558 Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province returned safely to Hong Kong via four chartered flights arranged by the Hong Kong SAR Government on March 25 and 26. All people who were taking the chartered flights back to Hong Kong have undergone health assessment. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, all passengers were required to undergo temperature checks and began 14 days of compulsory home quarantine. Details here.

February's exports up 4.3%

March 26, 2020 – The value of Hong Kong's total exports rose to US$30.5 billion (HK$238.6 billion), up 4.3% year-on-year. The value of imports of goods dipped 0.1% to US$35.5 billion (HK$277.1 billion) for the same period. Taking the first two months of 2020 together, the value of total exports of goods decreased by 12% year-on-year, reflecting the serious disruptions to regional trading and production activities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The value of imports of goods fell 9.3%, with a visible trade deficit of US$8.8 billion (HK$69.1 billion) recorded in the first two months of the year. During the first two months of 2020, total exports to the USA fell 26.4% year-on-year while the value of imports from the USA decreased by 11.7% compared to the same period last year. Details here.

Suspension of poultry products from South Carolina 

March 26, 2020 – Due to the outbreak of low pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza in the Chesterfield County in South Carolina in the United States, Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety has suspended the import of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, from the aforementioned area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.  Hong Kong imported about 690 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, 257,970 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 642 million poultry eggs from the US last year. Details here.  

Second batch of flights for Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei 

March 25, 2020 – The Hong Kong SAR Government has dispatched the second batch of chartered flights to bring back 281 Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province. All are people who have urgent needs to return to Hong Kong, including people suffering from serious illnesses, children who are sick, and students who are taking the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examination. All passengers on the chartered flights had completed health assessment by DH staff before and after arrival. Upon landing, they will undergo a 14-day quarantine period. The Hong Kong SAR team will depart for Wuhan March 26 morning to bring back another batch of some 280 people to Hong Kong. Details here.

Free COVID-19 testing available for inbound travelers from the US 

March 25, 2020 – The Centre for Health Protection has extended free testing for COVID-19 to asymptomatic inbound travellers arriving from the United States, beginning March 25 afternoon. In light of the increasing demand for COVID-19 testing for inbound travelers from overseas, the Department of Health will set up a temporary specimen collection center at the AsiaWorld-Expo, starting March 26, to speed up the collection of test specimen and to help ease difficulties for the submission of specimen. This temporary specimen collection center will operate daily from 7:30am to 11pm. Details here.

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