Hong Kong authorities have announced that travellers arriving in the city from 14 December who test negative for coronavirus will no longer need an amber health code and can enter restaurants and other premises previously off limits.
New rules will also do away with scanning of QR code on app to enter citywide premises, although for entrance to certain venues visitors will still need to show vaccination records.
The effective scrapping of all travel restrictions for arrivals into the city who test negative is a big boost for the events sector in the SAR.
“The decisions were based on data and risks,” Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu told the media. “The infection risk from imported cases is lower than the risk from local infections. We believe that the lifting [of the measures] will not increase the risk of local outbreaks.”
Travellers arriving in Hong Kong had been subject to the '0+3' regime where they are issued an amber code on their health app even if they test negative and banned from entering restaurants, gyms and certain other premises during their first three days. Now all incoming travellers who test negative will be given a blue code on their health app and can move about the city freely.
Travellers heading to the Chinese mainland and Macau need now to complete a PCR test 48 hours before departure.
Health authorities reported 14,717 cases on 12 December, of which 5%, or 704 cases, were imported.
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (“HML”), which operates the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), has welcomed the announcement by the Hong Kong SAR government relaxing the anti Covid-19 measures and says it is ready to welcome international visitors and events back to the HKCEC.
Monica Lee-Müller, managing director of HML, said, “This is certainly a big and important step for the event industry to rebound, that we have been waiting for. .. I am confident that the HKCEC will continue to win the votes of confidence of event organisers, exhibitors and buyers, and rise above the challenges of Covid-19.”
A few well-established trade fairs have earlier announced their return to the HKCEC, including:
- Hong Kong International Fur & Fashion Fair will be held on 22-25 February 2023
- Jewellery & GEM ASIA Hong Kong (JGA) will be held on 22-25 June 2023
- Jewellery & GEM WORLD Hong Kong (JGW) will be held on 20-24 September 2023
- Cosmoprof Asia will be held on 15-17 November 2023
The Hong Kong catering sector, however, has expressed disappointment over the lack of changes in social-distancing rules, pointing out its Christmas and New Year business would be affected.
