HONG KONG, Sept 20 ― Hong Kong's leader John Lee said today the government aims to make an announcement soon on its controversial Covid-19 hotel quarantine policy for all arrivals, as it wants to keep the city connected with the rest of the world and allow an “orderly opening up”.
Lee said he was conscious that Hong Kong needed to retain its competitiveness, adding that authorities wanted to bring back events and activities to the city.
“We know exactly where we should be heading and want to be consistent as we move in that direction. We would like to have an orderly opening up...because we don't want to have chaos or confusion in the process,” he told reporters.
Hong Kong, taking its cues from China which is pursuing a zero-Covid policy, is one of the few places in the world to still require travellers from abroad to quarantine upon arrival though the length of quarantine has eased over time. Currently arrivals must pay for three-days in a hotel and follow that with four days of self-monitoring.
Business groups, diplomats and many residents have slammed the city's Covid-19 rules, saying they threaten Hong Kong's standing as a global financial centre. ― Reuters
