Designated Hotels for Quarantine
All You Need To Know
Objective of Scheme
-
To further prevent importation of COVID-19 cases and reduce contact between returnees from overseas and the local community, the Government fully implemented the Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme on 22 December 2020. Travellers arriving from countries outside China are required to undergo 21 days’ compulsory quarantine at designated quarantine hotels since 25 December 2020. On 1 April 2021, the Government announced the latest quarantine arrangements in which the compulsory quarantine period for persons arriving at Hong Kong on or after April 9, and who have only stayed in Australia, New Zealand or Singapore on the day of arrival in Hong Kong or during the 21 days before that day, will be shortened to 14 days. These persons will still be required to undergo compulsory quarantine in designated quarantine hotels. They are required to self-monitor for the subsequent seven days and be subject to compulsory testing on the 19th day after their arrival at Hong Kong. This arrangement will be applicable to both Hong Kong residents and non-Hong Kong residents.
-
The first cycle of the Designated Hotel Scheme, providing around 12,000 rooms, had ended on 19 February 2021. The second cycle of the Scheme which was launched on 21 February would run until 20 April 2021 Some 10,000 rooms are provided. The Government is carrying on with the third cycle of the Scheme. There will be thirty designated quarantine hotels in the third cycle, providing about 8,300 rooms. The validity of the contract period of these hotels will last until 19 June 2021.
-
Designated quarantine hotels are required to observe the following strict requirements,
including:
- all designated hotels have to be inspected by relevant departments (Department of Health, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Buildings Department, etc) so as to ensure the design, facilities and operations of the hotels meet the Government’s infection control requirements;
- designated hotels should not accept non-quarantine guests during the period when joining the Scheme;
- public should not be allowed to have access to the hotel premises, except for areas in lobby and carpark which have been properly segregated;
- hotels should take all reasonable procedures to ensure that persons undergoing quarantine will not leave their rooms during the quarantine period and no visitations to these persons should be allowed;
- hotels should step up cleansing and infection control as well as security arrangements and arrange for its relevant staff to attend COVID-19 test every 14 days.
-
The Government will arrange dedicated staff to inspect the designated quarantine hotels
to ensure their compliance with the relevant requirements imposed by the Government.
- To minimise the contact between travellers and the community, the Government will provide designated point-to-point transportation at the Airport to convey travellers to the designated quarantine hotels. All coaches are required to observe the infection control requirements. Apart from the driver, there will be staff on each coach to ensure travellers will get off at the pre-booked hotels. Getting off in the middle of the journey is not allowed.
What's New
- Government invokes place-specific flight suspension mechanism (18 April 2021)
- Government announces arrangements for designated flights from United Kingdom to Hong Kong and quarantine arrangements for arrivals from low-risk places (1 April 2021)
- Government announces list of third cycle designated quarantine hotels (19 March 2021)
- Government further tightens testing and isolation arrangements for exempted persons (5 February 2021)
- LCQ4: Variants of the coronavirus (27 January 2021)
- Government maintains boarding restrictions for places with severe epidemic situation and compulsory quarantine arrangements (23 January 2021)
- SCS on Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme (with video) (18 January 2021)
- Government announces list of second cycle designated quarantine hotels (18 January 2021)
- LCQ3: Community-wide efforts to fight the epidemic (13 January 2021)
- Government maintains boarding restrictions for places with severe epidemic situation and compulsory quarantine arrangements (7 January 2021)
- Response to media enquiries about room rates of designated quarantine hotels (28 December 2020)
- Government tightens restrictions and compulsory quarantine requirements for persons arriving at Hong Kong who have stayed in places outside China (25 December 2020)
- Government tightens compulsory quarantine requirements for persons arriving at Hong Kong who have stayed in United Kingdom (24 December 2020)
- Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme fully implemented today (22 December 2020)
- Five hotels start to operate as designated quarantine hotels today (18 December 2020)
- Government to gazette specifications in relation to Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme and further announce detailed arrangement (15 December 2020)
- Latest development of Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme (13 December 2020)
- Government announces details of Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme (11 December 2020)
- Transcript of remarks by CE at media session before ExCo meeting (with video) (8 December 2020)