persons subject to compulsory testing

Macao Temporarily Removed From Return2hk Scheme

The Government announced today (August 3) that in the light of the latest epidemic development in Macao, Macao will be included on the List of At-risk Places Temporarily Inapplicable under the Return2hk Scheme (List of At-risk Places) from 4 August.

The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced today that one imported case and three imported-related cases have been confirmed. According to the assessment by Macao’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre, the risk of local transmission and outbreak of COVID-19 was extremely high. The Chief Executive of the Macao SAR announced that Macao has entered a state of immediate prevention, with effect from 3.30pm today. Starting from the same time, a proof of negative nucleic acid test result obtained within 24 hours is necessary for departure from Macao.

Taking into consideration Macao’s local epidemic development and the relevant announcement, the HK Government will include Macao on the List of At-risk Places from 4 August. Persons who have stayed in Macao or any other places on the List of At-risk Places on the day of arrival at Hong Kong or during the 14 days before that day will not be eligible to return to Hong Kong under the Return2hk Scheme. They will be subject to a 14-day compulsory quarantine at home, and have to undergo compulsory testing on the third, the seventh and the 12th days of arrival at Hong Kong during quarantine, as well as on the 16th and 19th days of arrival at Hong Kong after the completion of quarantine.

The arrangements of shortened quarantine period to seven days for fully vaccinated persons will also not be applicable.

Updated Quarantine Requirements for Vaccinated Close Contacts

The Government today (7 May) announced updated quarantine requirements for vaccinated close contacts of locally acquired COVID-19 cases.

Close Contacts of Locally Acquired Cases Who Do NOT Have a Mutant Strain

The duration of compulsory quarantine is shortened to seven days of quarantine in a Quarantine Centre, counting from the last day of exposure to the confirmed case (the day of last exposure is regarded as Day 0), provided the following three criteria have been satisfied:

(a) documented proof of completion of two doses of CoronaVac or BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, and that 14 days have passed from the date of receiving the second dose#; and

(b) results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the respiratory specimens taken on Day 0 or Day 1 after admission to a QC being negative; and

(c) positive immunoglobulin G (IgG) or total antibody against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, or positive surrogate neutralising antibody, taken after admission to a QC.

After completing the seven-day quarantine, the close contact will be subject to seven days of self-monitoring, and to compulsory testing at a community testing centre (CTC) on Day 12.

Close Contacts of Locally Acquired N501Y Mutant Strain

The duration of quarantine in a QC is shortened from 21 days to 14 days, counting from the last day of exposure to the confirmed case, provided the following three criteria have been satisfied:

(a) documented proof of completion of two doses of CoronaVac or BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, and that 14 days have passed from the date of receiving the second dose#; and

(b) results of PCR testing of the respiratory specimens taken on Day 0 or Day 1 after admission to a QC, and those taken on Day 7 and Day 12 after last exposure to the confirmed case, being all negative; and

(c) positive IgG or total antibody against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, or positive surrogate neutralising antibody, taken after admission to a QC.

After completing the fourteen-day quarantine, the close contact will be subject to seven days of self-monitoring, and to compulsory testing at a community testing centre (CTC) on Day 19.

# Persons Regarded as Satisfying Criteria (a):

1) close contacts who had documented past infection of COVID-19 within nine months after discharge; or

2) close contacts who had documented past infection of COVID-19 more than nine months after discharge plus one dose of CoronaVac or BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, and for whom 14 days have passed from the date of receiving the dose.

Updated Boarding and Quarantine Arrangements for Persons Arriving at Hong Kong

The HK Government announced today (May 4) the continued suspension of passenger flights from India, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines, and the continued restriction on persons who have stayed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Brazil, and South Africa from boarding flights for Hong Kong.

The lifting of the ban on 7 May for persons who have stayed in Ireland and the United Kingdom on boarding for Hong Kong, to allow flights to resume, subject to the compulsory quarantine and testing arrangements upon arrival at Hong Kong.

The full press release can be read here

Details on the grouping of specified places and their respective boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/high-risk-places.html.

Compulsory Test – 1 May, 2021

The Government announced, on 1 May, that under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) it has gazetted the following compulsory testing notice and specifications, which require any person who has been present at 26 specified premises during the specified period and foreign domestic helpers (persons subject to compulsory testing) to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test before 14 May, 2021.

A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said, “As N501Y mutant strain is with high transmissibility, for prudence’s sake, the relevant persons who had been to the places patronised by the local cases with unknown sources of infection involving N501Y mutant strain are required to undergo three tests and all foreign domestic helpers are required to undergo testing to completely cut any possible transmission chain.”

In addition, since there were outbreaks of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in 11 schools, and the symptoms of URTI are similar to those of COVID-19, for prudence’s sake, these 11 schools are also covered in the compulsory testing notice.

The list is massive, download from the HK Government website here