Hoping to boost the tourism economy and attract travelers, Hong Kong has decided to call it quits most Covid restrictions. This marks a major shift after almost three years of strict Covid measures for tourists.
International tourists are no longer required to have a vaccine pass and are no longer required to take mandatory tests upon arrival.
Being a Special Administrative Region of China, it has relative autonomous power and as such has enforced strict lockdown and curfew rules during the pandemic.
John Lee, Hong Kong’s leader, made such announcements ahead of the new year, looking ahead to 2023, hoping to regain his international status and join other global financial centers in Asia.
Hong Kong follows China, which just weeks ago reopened its economy and ended the cycle of lockdowns in urban centers and its quarantine policies.
Despite the recent spike in cases on the mainland, Hong Kong has eased restrictions in terms of restrictions.
From December 29, these measures will apply to tourists arriving in Hong Kong:
- No vaccination pass
- No more Covid testing on arrival
- No isolation for close contacts of infected persons
- No quarantine after arrival
- No more mandatory tests between days 0 and 5
Travelers can enjoy the fact that they do not have to present a provisional vaccine pass upon arrival and undergo several RAT tests during the first five days of their stay. And if tourists received a positive result within those five days, they were forced to quarantine until a negative test result.
Lee also confirmed that vaccination status will no longer be an official requirement for entry into Hong Kong.
The only measure available is a pre-departure test according to the US Consulate for Hong Kong. This means a PCR within 48 hours arrive or a Rapid Antigen 24 hours before boarding.
