Hong Kong Expands Entry Ban to Countries Responding to Omicron Variant

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Hong Kong has expanded its entry ban list in response to the new COVID-19 variant, 'Omicron.'

The Hong Kong government announced last night that starting from the 30th, four African countries?Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zambia?will be added to the entry ban list.

Additionally, from 0:00 on the 2nd of next month, nine countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Israel, and Italy will be added to the entry ban list.

Earlier, to prevent the spread of Omicron, the Hong Kong government announced an entry ban from 0:00 on the 27th for eight Southern African countries: South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Eswatini.

However, before the emergence of the Omicron variant, the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands were already on the entry ban list due to COVID-19 spread.

The entry ban applies to non-residents of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong residents who have stayed in the affected countries must complete vaccination to board flights to Hong Kong and must quarantine for 21 days in government-designated facilities and hotels upon arrival.

Three Omicron variant infection cases have been confirmed in Hong Kong.

The first infected individual was a traveler from South Africa, and shortly after, a traveler from Canada quarantining in a room opposite the same hotel was infected, raising the possibility of secondary transmission.

Subsequently, a traveler from Nigeria was confirmed as the third infected case on the 28th.

Hong Kong authorities stated that all infections were confirmed during hotel quarantine after entry, effectively blocking the virus from entering the community.

Meanwhile, some countries have included Hong Kong in their Omicron variant entry ban lists.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.