July 14, 2022
HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s inbound travelers could be exempted from mandatory quarantine in time for an international investment summit to be held in the city in early November this year, the city’s health chief said on Tuesday.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said that instead of quarantine, visitors would be placed under medical observation and possibly barred from high-risk activities, such as going to bars
But, the isolation-free arrangement would be conditional, Lo Chung-mau said in an interview with a local newspaper.
He said that instead of quarantine, visitors would be placed under medical observation and possibly barred from high-risk activities, such as going to bars. But, inbound travelers would still have to take nucleic acid tests.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government also plans to introduce a three-colored health code system in the tracking application LeaveHomeSafe to help identify people at risk of exposure to the virus. This would require users to provide their real names and other personal information. Lo said the move is not aimed at limiting personal freedom, but to protect it.
He said Hong Kong is expected to see local COVID-19 infections peak in September, with about 10,000 patients likely to be hospitalized. The government will strive to bring the pandemic under control, he said.
Expert panel gets 6 more members
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has appointed six more experts to the COVID-19 Expert Advisory Panel to advise the government on areas such as public health, epidemiology and clinical experience, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.
The new panel members are: Prof David Hui Shu-cheong, Prof Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, Prof Lau Chak-sing, Prof Lau Yu-lung, Prof Gabriel Matthew Leung and Prof Yuen Kwok-yung.
Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau (second right), inspects the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Center to have a better grasp on the treatment and nursing care provided by the healthcare personnel for COVID-19 patients. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
Lee, together with government officials and representatives from the Hospital Authority, will convene Expert Advisory Panel meetings from time to time for professional opinion from the experts and gauge the pandemic situation.
In view of the pandemic developments, the government will take into account the recommendations from the Expert Advisory Panel to formulate targeted strategies and measures, according to the statement.