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A Cathay Dragon plane is seen at Hong Kong International Airport. (Reuters photo)
Hong Kong’s aviation regulator has banned flights between the city and Kuala Lumpur for two weeks after five Cathay Dragon passengers transiting Malaysia from India tested positive for the coronavirus.
The move, a month after Air India suffered the same punishment, has closed a key route for the thousands of Indian nationals still trying to return to Hong Kong after being stranded abroad for several months.
India has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world behind the United States, with 5.3 million and rising. In total, 30.5 million cases and 953,000 deaths had been reported worldwide as of Sunday.
A Cathay Dragon spokeswoman said Hong Kong health authorities notified her on Saturday night that five passengers on flight KA734 from Kuala Lumpur last Friday had the virus.
“As a result of the directive of the Department of Civil Aviation, we will suspend our passenger services between Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong until October 3,” the airline said in a statement.
Affected passengers would either be reimbursed or provided alternative travel arrangements, the airline said.
The five passengers flew to Malaysia on an Air India Express service before connecting to Cathay Dragon. Hong Kong authorities, according to Cathay, said the affected passengers’ documents met strict health standards.
In addition to sending the affected aircraft for a deep cleaning, Cathay said it was trying to track down people who were in close contact with passengers on board.
Flight KA734 also carried four Covid-19 passengers on September 11 from India.
Meanwhile, Air India flight AI314 on September 8 detected seven cases of the virus upon arrival in Hong Kong.
Since July 25, the Hong Kong government has required travelers from high-risk countries, including India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the United States, to obtain a negative Covid-19 test with certification and validation within 72 hours. hours after departure. A hotel reservation for 14 days must also be presented as proof.
Requirements include a stipulation that testing must be performed at a government-approved or accredited facility. However, Hong Kong relies on other governments to determine what a test facility must do to be approved.
People have been left in despair, as flights from India to Hong Kong have been slow to organize despite high demand.
Air India was also banned from flying into the city for two weeks in August after a dozen cases of Covid-19 were detected.
When the ban came into effect, the Hong Kong government advised people stranded in India to fly into the city through transit hubs like Kuala Lumpur, despite the possibility of further exposure to the virus.
Cases imported from India previously arrived in Hong Kong via Singapore, Doha and Kuala Lumpur.
Air India has a flight from Delhi to Hong Kong scheduled for Monday and is expected to arrive on Tuesday.
Last week, authorities in Dubai banned Air India Express for 15 days starting on September 18, after the airline’s airport ground handling agents boarded two passengers who had tested positive for the virus. The ban was lifted after 24 hours.
