Travellers must complete online declaration before flying

[reader]

From South China Morning Post

HONG KONG: All incoming travellers from overseas must complete their Covid-19 health declaration online from Thursday before flying into Hong Kong under a new requirement by the government to speed up processing at the airport.

Under a trial scheme announced on Sunday, arrivals will have to complete a declaration form on the Department of Health's website to obtain a QR code before boarding their flights.

While the declaration system has been in place since June 2020, a government spokesman noted that some people only logged on to register upon arriving in Hong Kong.

"[It] may hinder others, who have valid health declarations, from arriving in Hong Kong during peak hours," he added.

The validity period of the health declaration QR code will be 96 hours, which means users travelling to the city can submit the form online as early as three days before their flight.

Health authorities on Sunday confirmed 4,250 coronavirus infections, including 186 imported cases. Eight new deaths linked to the virus were also reported. The city's Covid-19 tally stands at 1,321,739 cases, with 9,469 related fatalities.

[PeterRS]

All this is of little use given that Hong Kong still requires almost all visitors to undergo the most stringent quarantine regulations. You still need testing on arrival at  Hong Kong airport followed by a longish wait, then 14 days quarantine at home or in a hotel with daily RATs - and you cannot move out of either.

[numerito]

I live in HK, @PeterRS, and I agree that the quarantine ruled are a major deterrent for tourism and are hurting the city’s economy.

However, mandatory quarantine is no longer 14 days. It was shortened to 7 days a few months ago, but you CANNOT quarantine at home. You have to go to one of the designated hotels (sometimes expensive), and you need a confirmed booking before boarding your flight to HK. To add insult to injury, it is difficult to get a room, since the availability is limited, and it seems that travel agencies block quite a number of them for their clients.