Hong Kong removed the arrival quarantine requirement for those entering the city effective today, and the announcement was made just past Friday (read more here).
I wrote about my experience getting documents to arrive today and promised to report my experience entering Hong Kong.
You can access Hong Kong’s page for international arrivals today.
Cathay Pacific Check-In Experience
The check-in experience was very smooth, and I like how Cathay Pacific still has its employees at outstations.
The Cathay Pacific agent needed to scan the code of your prearrival QR, and until now, it needed to be GREEN, but PINK is for those whose hotel “quarantine” location could not be confirmed (this may have changed by now – I noted yesterday that the web form was incorrect).
The flight was surprisingly full, and I could snag one of the first class seats, albeit with business service (four class plane sold as three).
Hong Kong Arrival
The Cathay Pacific flight from Melbourne was the third commercial passenger flight that landed after the arrival quarantine was abolished.
The exit from the plane was usual.
Cathay employees were waiting to assist connecting passengers, as they always do.
The weren’t many people around.
The lane for connecting and transferring passengers was on the left, and those entering Hong Kong on the right.
There must be lines at times because of the setup at the test registration.
There are multiple reminders to have your QR code, Hong Kong ID, or passport ready.
The registration station checks the QR code and your passport.
You are then issued a green lanyard and given a test kit.
You then proceed to one of the testing stations.
The sample is collected, and you hand the package at the next stop.
You have then completed the testing and will proceed to immigration and customs.
There is one more lanyard checking when you exit the baggage hall and is about to go through customs.
You are given this notice to download the medical surveillance document.
There are reminders that you need to have the LeaveHomeSage app installed.
The arrivals hall was empty, but there were representatives from the media interviewing one of the first passengers entering Hong Kong quarantine free.
My vaccine pass was blue until I went through the arrival process.
And then it changed to Amber.
An email about Medical Surveillance hit my email inbox right after I had been “scanned” and test taken.
I needed to have the last four digits of the form I completed yesterday (pink) and my passport number.
There was several page PDF download with information about the next steps.
The PDF included the Amber and blue codes required to enter most premises. The Blue code is activated at 9:01 AM on your fourth day (if arrival day is considered 1)
The test results came in less than four hours.
In the afternoon, I received another text that explained what I needed to do with the RATs (take a photo) and PCR-RTs on days 2, 4, and 6.
Conclusion
The arrival procedure was smooth, and I was at my hotel within 90 minutes of touching down, including a few minutes of waiting for checked luggage and 10 minutes for Uber.
I am still not convinced that the current setup can handle any significant amount of passengers without long lines.
The number of tests required (daily rapid antigen test for 7 days) and PCR-RT tests on days 0, 2, 4, and 6. You can also not enter F&B and many other premises until the fourth day of arrival, discouraging leisure visitor arrivals.
This three-day medical surveillance period might be short-lived, as some health experts suggest that it could be removed in two to three weeks if there is no spike in infections.
