Hong Kong will allow incoming travelers who test positive for Covid-19 to remain in their designated quarantine hotels instead of being transferred to isolation hotels or community facilities like the infamous Penny’s Bay.
(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong will allow incoming travelers who test positive for Covid-19 to remain in their designated quarantine hotels instead of being transferred to isolation hotels or community facilities like the infamous Penny’s Bay.
The move, which will begin Nov. 1, comes as Hong Kong prepares for a series of high-profile events including a summit for global bankers and an international rugby tournament that could help revive its international reputation after being isolated for most of the pandemic. Some potential visitors have said they won’t attend if there is a risk they could get sent to quarantine facilities.
Hong Kong has been sending some travelers who test positive after arrival to the makeshift quarantine camp known as Penny’s Bay for an additional week as part of its bid to contain the virus. The risk has made people fear coming to one of the world’s richest cities, even after it cut hotel quarantine times from seven days to three.
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Local residents who contract the virus have been allowed to quarantine at home since an outbreak slammed the city this spring, provided their living situation allowed them room to isolate.
The new arrangement, which the government plans to add in a clause to the contracts it has with local hotels, should better utilize manpower and reduce the risk of transmission when patients are being transported, the government said. Hotels must strengthen virus measures, such as arranging specific floors to isolate the confirmed cases, it said.
Travelers will be required to cover the cost of the extended stay, the government said in a statement.
(Adds details on Hong Kong’s fall activities in the second paragraph. An earlier version of this story corrected the fourth paragraph to note the outbreak began in the spring)
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