Hong Kong has extended its quarantine period for all travelers arriving from outside China by one week to 21 days, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Increased efforts are coming as officials try to mitigate the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus detected in the UK, which may be more transmissible than the original strain.
“Noting the drastic change in the global pandemic situation with the new variant of the virus found in several countries, it is necessary for the government to immediately introduce decisive measures … to ensure that no case will slip through the net even in very exceptional cases. where the incubation period of the virus exceeds 14 days, “a Hong Kong government spokesman said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Along with the extended quarantine period, which will take effect on Friday, Hong Kong also bans all people who have remained in South Africa for the past 21 days from boarding in Hong Kong, according to Reuters.
Hong Kong had already banned all flights arriving from the United Kingdom.
The United States is also taking increased steps to mitigate the spread of the new variant of coronavirus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late Thursday that the United States will require all passengers arriving from the UK to provide a negative coronavirus test before boarding the flight.