The Government announced today (December 28) that starting from tomorrow (December 29), the pre-departure testing arrangements for all inbound persons will be standardised and all nucleic acid testing requirements after their arrival at Hong Kong will be lifted. Inbound persons are advised to conduct daily rapid antigen test (RAT) until Day 5 after their arrival at Hong Kong.

     To fully leverage Hong Kong's strengths in connecting with the world and to prepare for the resumption of travel with the Mainland, the Government will further streamline inbound control measures starting from 0.00am tomorrow on the premise of striking a balance between risks and economic impetus. Details are as follows.

Standardising pre-departure testing requirements
--------------------------------------

     All inbound persons (aged three or above on the date of arrival at Hong Kong), regardless of being from the Mainland, Macao, Taiwan or overseas places, are required to conduct an RAT within 24 hours, or undergo a polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid test within 48 hours, prior to the scheduled time of flight departure (for those entering Hong Kong via the airport) or the scheduled time of arrival at Hong Kong (for those entering Hong Kong via other boundary control points), and obtain a negative result for entering Hong Kong. Upon receiving the test results, relevant persons should keep the photos showing the test results or the test report for 90 days for presentation for checking on request by Government personnel. They may also voluntarily declare the test result via the Department of Health's electronic health declaration form.

Lifting post-arrival nucleic acid testing requirement
--------------------------------------

     Starting tomorrow, the Government will also lift all existing nucleic acid testing requirements applicable to inbound persons, including:

(1) Lifting the nucleic acid test under the "test-and-go" arrangement on the day of arrival (Day 0) at the airport and on Day 2 after arrival at Hong Kong for inbound persons from overseas places or Taiwan

(2) Lifting the nucleic acid test on Day 2 after arrival at Hong Kong (and an additional nucleic acid test on Day 1 after arrival at Hong Kong for those who have stayed in any place on the List of At-Risk Places within the Mainland or Macao under the Return2hk / Come2hk Scheme) for inbound persons from the Mainland or Macao

     After the aforementioned nucleic acid testing requirements have been lifted, relevant inbound persons who had already arrived at Hong Kong today or earlier will no longer be required to undergo the relevant post-arrival nucleic acid tests according to the original requirement.

Health advice on conducting RATs after arrival at Hong Kong
--------------------------------------

     The Government continues to advise all inbound persons to conduct daily RATs using self-arranged RAT kits during the period between the day of arrival (i.e. Day 0) and Day 5 after arrival at Hong Kong.

     The handling arrangements for inbound persons tested positive align with that for local cases. Relevant persons should provide information to the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health through the online platforms (for nucleic acid tests or RATs) as early as possible. For further details, please refer to the webpage on Points to Note for Persons who Tested Positive.

Cessation of the Provisional Vaccine Pass arrangement
--------------------------------------

     In alignment with the cessation of implementation of the Vaccine Pass arrangement under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation (Cap. 599L) by the Government, the arrangement for inbound persons to obtain a Provisional Vaccine Pass will cease.

     The requirement for non-Hong Kong residents to be fully vaccinated for boarding a flight to Hong Kong from overseas places will remain unchanged for the time being.

     The Government will gazette the relevant specification notices under the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C), the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E) and the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to effect the above measures.

     The Government will continue to suitably adjust anti-epidemic measures based on scientific analyses of data. While safeguarding the well-being of citizens and protecting the public healthcare system, the Government also seeks to reduce the disruption to normal social activities with a view to achieving the greatest effect with the lowest cost.

Ends/Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Issued at HKT 23:46

NNNN