Due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases caused by the highly infectious Omicron variant, Hong Kong is on alert and has decided on taking some stringent measures to curb the spread of the disease in the state. On Wednesday, the Hong Kong government barred flights from India and seven other nations for at least two weeks which is one of the most important steps to prevent the spread of the disease.
Hong Kong has currently reported 114 cases of Omicron and all of them have been imported. However, the Special Administration Region (SAR) is currently witnessing the local spread of the disease too after a long time. The new variant Omicron has challenged the “zero Covid” policy which was maintained in both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.
Travellers from eight countries- India, the U.S, the U.K, Canada, Pakistan, Philippines, and Australia have been barred from entering Hong Kong. Additionally, there have been some strict measures for the countries from where the flights are open. The restrictions for other international passengers include quarantining after arrival, mass testing, and quarantining of close contacts to ensure that all safety precautions are taken and to bring the cases to zero.
