Hong Kong's Government updated (29-May-2022) pre-departure and post-arrival COVID-19 nucleic acid testing arrangements applicable to persons boarding for Hong Kong from overseas places and Taiwan, as it aims to reduce the impact on the journeys of persons coming to Hong Kong, effective 01-Jun-2022. Key highlights as follows:
- Pre-departure PCR based nucleic acid tests not required for inbound children aged below three;
- Pre-departure PCR based nucleic acid tests not required for travellers transferring or transiting in Hong Kong;
- Post-arrival testing arrangements for persons entering Hong Kong: All relevant persons arriving in Hong Kong on or after 24-May-2022 and being discharged early from compulsory quarantine will be required to undergo an additional compulsory test on the ninth day of arrival;
- Updated penalty triggered by omission in checking under the route specific flight suspension mechanism: If it is the first instance within a 10-day period for a certain flight to trigger the mechanism due to passengers' non-compliance of the boarding conditions, Airport Authority Hong Kong will impose a penalty of HKD20,000 (USD2548). If the flights of the relevant route triggers the criterion again within 10 days, the passenger flights of that route run by the relevant airline from the same origin place will be prohibited from landing in Hong Kong for five days. [more - original PR]