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HONG KONG – The Hong Kong government has proposed that passengers taking the Singapore-Hong Kong quarantine-free bubble flights be vaccinated as talks with Lion City on the long-delayed travel bubble resume, and infections from the territory decline. .
Trade and Economic Development Secretary Edward Yau said in a joint briefing on Monday (March 29) that Hong Kong residents participating in the travel bubble arrangements would have to complete two doses of vaccines and wait for the at least 14 days after the second injection before you can go on those flights.
“We have presented the proposal to the Singapore government and we are waiting for a response, but I think it is important that we first do things right on our side, that is, before people here in Hong Kong travel, they must first be vaccinated. This it’s for their own protection, “he said.
Yau noted that the city’s seven-day moving average for unknown infections has dropped to less than five, a criterion for discussions to resume between the two parties.
On Monday, Hong Kong registered eight new infections, of which one was local and its origin is unknown. The rest were imported cases. They bring the total tally since the pandemic began to more than 11,400 and 205 deaths.
“If Hong Kong people are going to travel and if we are going to initiate travel bubble agreements with other places, then vaccination will be a requirement. I think it will be the trend worldwide in the long term,” Yau said.
While he did not provide a timeline on when the travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will restart, Yau said Hong Kong is in talks with 16 jurisdictions about travel arrangements for those who are vaccinated.
Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said in response that Hong Kong has kept the pandemic under control and that “this is a very positive development.”
“We have received a proposal from Hong Kong to reopen the borders safely. We are studying it and will respond to Hong Kong shortly.”
The travel bubble with Singapore was suspended before the first scheduled flight on November 22 when the pandemic in Hong Kong worsened, triggering the fourth wave of Covid-19 that lasted four months, the longest so far.
Yau’s suggestion builds on the initial agreement between Singapore and Hong Kong for passengers on designated direct flights to be tested prior to departure and upon arrival in each city.
When asked about the recognition of different vaccines, Yau said that different jurisdictions will have “their own standards,” but Hong Kong officials will “consult the health authorities in the respective areas and discuss the issue of mutual regulation.” .
With the Easter holiday in three days (Good Friday is April 2), Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan, who was at the briefing, said the government will proceed with caution.
From Thursday through April 14, public pools and beaches will reopen, while capacity for cinemas and performance venues will rise to 75 percent from 50 percent previously.
The ban on religious gatherings will also be lifted, and health authorities say the number of participants in religious venues could be capped at 30 percent.
Bars, pubs, nightclubs, mahjong halls and bathhouses will remain closed, while the limit for public gatherings will remain at four.
“Now, if we relax the measures a little before the Easter holidays, there could be a resurgence of the epidemic. That is why we do not have the condition now to substantially relax the various measures of social distancing and immigration control measures. We must be patient and stick with it. Improve our efforts a little bit more, “said Professor Chan, who said the latest movements are” in no way a relaxation. “
The ban on flights from the UK will soon be lifted, and the government will organize designated flights in late April to allow Hong Kong residents in the UK to return home, he said. Those on such designated flights will serve the 21-day quarantine at hotels.
For people coming from low-risk areas, such as Singapore, New Zealand and Australia, the mandatory hotel quarantine will be reduced to 14 days, although there are another seven days of “self-monitoring”.
As for when the government will resume using the Pfizer-BioNTech punches, Professor Chan said officials are in close contact with the German company and continental distributor Fosun Pharma.
“Hopefully in the next week we can have a final report and therefore we can resume vaccination shortly,” he said.
Officials urged people to take the hits, noting that staff in places like schools, beauty salons and restaurants, where testing for Covid-19 is required every 14 days, will no longer need to do so if they get vaccinated.
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