Traveller testing adjustment set

March 31, 2021

The Government today announced that the COVID-19 nucleic acid testing arrangements for people arriving in Hong Kong from places in China will be adjusted from April 1 to tally the relevant testing requirements.

 

Currently, the testing arrangements vary for people arriving from different places in China, including the Mainland, Macau and Taiwan, at different boundary control points.

 

For the Hong Kong International Airport, all travellers are subject to the test-and-hold arrangement upon arrival, while travellers arriving from places in China will be given a specimen collection bottle for deep throat saliva sample collection for testing again on the 12th day of their arrival.

 

As for land boundary control points, people exempted from compulsory quarantine and Hong Kong residents arriving in Hong Kong under the Return2hk Scheme are required to conduct virus tests within three days prior to their arrival in Hong Kong and present the negative test result.

 

Under specific circumstances, such as for people who had stayed in designated places in the Mainland, they would also be given specimen collection bottles to collect deep throat saliva samples for testing on the second and 12th day of their arrival.

 

The Food & Health Bureau said the differing testing arrangements may cause inconvenience to residents and travellers.

 

To avoid confusion, the Government will tally the post-arrival testing arrangements at different control points, and require people arriving in Hong Kong from places in China from April 1, to undergo testing on arrival or the second day of arrival and on the 12th day of their arrival.

 

The Government said it will gazette a compulsory testing notice.

 

According to the notice, any person aged six or above who arrives in Hong Kong from April 1 via any land boundary control point and is placed under quarantine under the relevant regulation, as well as those arriving in Hong Kong under the Return2hk Scheme and are hence exempted from compulsory quarantine, must undergo testing on the second and 12th day following their arrival in the city.

 

Meanwhile, people who arrive in Hong Kong via the airport and are placed under quarantine must also undergo testing on the 12th day following their arrival in addition to the test-and-hold arrangement on the day of arrival.

 

The Government will amend the relevant exemption conditions imposed on exempted people by including the post-arrival test requirement as one of the exemption conditions.

 

The second and 12th day following a person's arrival in Hong Kong are counted with the day of arrival as the first day. For example, those who arrive in Hong Kong on April 1 should undergo the second day test on April 2 and the 12th day one on April 12.

 

Port Health staff will distribute specimen collection bottles to those subject to compulsory testing requirements when they arrive in Hong Kong.

 

People subject to testing must keep the SMS notifications containing the test results for checking by prescribed officers.

 

Call 6275 6901 for enquiries.

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