HK lifts all Covid curbs in urgent rush to reopen
Hong Kong is set to end its Covid-related health code requirements on Wednesday as the city seeks to welcome more international travelers and boost domestic consumption. Hong Kong media reported it was also possible that people in the city would be allowed to skip five-day hotel quarantine requirements and stay instead at home or private premises for three days when entering the mainland beginning next month. If implemented, the policy shift could open the way for a surge in mainland tourists in Hong Kong in 2023. The health code changes were announced by the Hong Kong government on Tuesday after Beijing shifted on December 7 from a “zero-Covid” to a “living with the virus” strategy by allowing Covid patients to stay home and reducing regular PCR tests. Hong Kong’s Covid policy shift comes ahead of US Federal Reserve meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, where the monetary authority is expected to raise interest rates by 50 basis points, de facto forcing Hong Kong’s banks to follow suit. Rising interest rates are hitting Hong Kong property prices, which have dropped by 7.3% over the past two months. The Centa-City Leading Index, compiled by the Centaline Property Agency, fell for the ninth consecutive week to 157.67 in the week ended December 4, down 7.3% from 170.62 in the week ended October 2. The index has dropped 15.3% so far this year. Some economists have suggested it is urgent to reopen the Hong Kong-mainland border to restart tourism and revive the local economy before property prices fall into crisis mode. Between late 2020 and February 2022, Hong Kong implemented the world’s most stringent quarantine rules as it required most incoming travelers to isolate themselves at designated hotels for 21 days. Visitors queue at a community testing center in Hong Kong. Photo: AFP / Miguel Candela Poblacion / Anadolu Agency Hong Kong cut its hotel quarantine period from 21 to 14 days on February 5 this year and trimmed it further to seven days on April 1. But it was then ordered by Beijing to maintain its quarantine rules to avoid affecting the mainland’s epidemic situation. Hong Kong finally canceled hotel quarantine requirements for incoming travelers on September 26 but still kept a three-day self-help monitoring arrangement. During the three days, incoming travelers were given an amber health code on their “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app, meaning that they were not allowed to enter restaurants and shops. The relaxation largely failed to boost international tourist arrivals but instead encouraged more Hong Kong people to travel overseas, media reported. Since the mainland eased its zero-Covid rules and restrictions last week, Hong Kong businesses and medical experts argued it was bootless to maintain the health code system in the city. Chief Executive John Lee announced on Tuesday that the amber code app system would be dropped beginning Wednesday and that all citizens and incoming travelers would automatically get a blue code if they were not infected. He also said people would not have to use the LeaveHomeSafe QR code system when entering the city’s restaurants, shopping malls and government buildings. However, incoming travelers will still be required to take a PCR test at the airport and a second one two days later, and perform a rapid antigen test every day for five days, he said. Michael Tien, a pro-business lawmaker representing Roundtable, said the cancellation of the amber code would help Hong Kong attract international tourists as they could visit restaurants and bars with only a vaccine pass. Hong Kong’s border with the mainland has been effectively closed since February 2020 due to Covid-19. Photo: Facebook Secretary of Health Lo Chung-mau said Tuesday that there would be a gradual reduction in compulsory testing orders for residents and other users of buildings with infected people. Lo said travelers to the mainland and Macau would no longer be required to conduct a PCR test at the border, but they would still need to obtain a negative test result 48 hours before departure. However, he added, that it was groundless to speculate that the Hong Kong-mainland border would “reopen” or resume “quarantine-free” travel as early as next month. Citing unnamed sources from Guangdong’s health department, HK01.com, a Hong Kong news website, reported on Tuesday that quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the mainland would resume on January 9. Read: China’s hospitals overrun after Covid rules eased Follow Jeff Pao on Twitter at @jeffpao3
ChinaGoSmart CGS 
Hong Kong is set to end its Covid-related health code requirements on Wednesday as the city seeks to welcome more international travelers and boost domestic consumption.
Hong Kong media reported it was also possible that people in the city would be allowed to skip five-day hotel quarantine requirements and stay instead at home or private premises for three days when entering the mainland beginning next month. If implemented, the policy shift could open the way for a surge in mainland tourists in Hong Kong in 2023.
The health code changes were announced by the Hong Kong government on Tuesday after Beijing shifted on December 7 from a “zero-Covid” to a “living with the virus” strategy by allowing Covid patients to stay home and reducing regular PCR tests.
Hong Kong’s Covid policy shift comes ahead of US Federal Reserve meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, where the monetary authority is expected to raise interest rates by 50 basis points, de facto forcing Hong Kong’s banks to follow suit. Rising interest rates are hitting Hong Kong property prices, which have dropped by 7.3% over the past two months.
The Centa-City Leading Index, compiled by the Centaline Property Agency, fell for the ninth consecutive week to 157.67 in the week ended December 4, down 7.3% from 170.62 in the week ended October 2. The index has dropped 15.3% so far this year.
Some economists have suggested it is urgent to reopen the Hong Kong-mainland border to restart tourism and revive the local economy before property prices fall into crisis mode.
Between late 2020 and February 2022, Hong Kong implemented the world’s most stringent quarantine rules as it required most incoming travelers to isolate themselves at designated hotels for 21 days.
Hong Kong cut its hotel quarantine period from 21 to 14 days on February 5 this year and trimmed it further to seven days on April 1. But it was then ordered by Beijing to maintain its quarantine rules to avoid affecting the mainland’s epidemic situation.
Hong Kong finally canceled hotel quarantine requirements for incoming travelers on September 26 but still kept a three-day self-help monitoring arrangement. During the three days, incoming travelers were given an amber health code on their “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app, meaning that they were not allowed to enter restaurants and shops.
The relaxation largely failed to boost international tourist arrivals but instead encouraged more Hong Kong people to travel overseas, media reported.
Since the mainland eased its zero-Covid rules and restrictions last week, Hong Kong businesses and medical experts argued it was bootless to maintain the health code system in the city.
Chief Executive John Lee announced on Tuesday that the amber code app system would be dropped beginning Wednesday and that all citizens and incoming travelers would automatically get a blue code if they were not infected.
He also said people would not have to use the LeaveHomeSafe QR code system when entering the city’s restaurants, shopping malls and government buildings.
However, incoming travelers will still be required to take a PCR test at the airport and a second one two days later, and perform a rapid antigen test every day for five days, he said.
Michael Tien, a pro-business lawmaker representing Roundtable, said the cancellation of the amber code would help Hong Kong attract international tourists as they could visit restaurants and bars with only a vaccine pass.
Secretary of Health Lo Chung-mau said Tuesday that there would be a gradual reduction in compulsory testing orders for residents and other users of buildings with infected people.
Lo said travelers to the mainland and Macau would no longer be required to conduct a PCR test at the border, but they would still need to obtain a negative test result 48 hours before departure. However, he added, that it was groundless to speculate that the Hong Kong-mainland border would “reopen” or resume “quarantine-free” travel as early as next month.
Citing unnamed sources from Guangdong’s health department, HK01.com, a Hong Kong news website, reported on Tuesday that quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the mainland would resume on January 9.
Read: China’s hospitals overrun after Covid rules eased
Follow Jeff Pao on Twitter at @jeffpao3
