12/28 - PCR & Vaccine Pass Press Conf

[shri]

Will be live here at 3:30PM ... Will update this thread closer to the press conf start.

Rumors: https://geoexpat.com/forum/newpostinthread364927.html

Attending

1. Chief Executive, Mr John Lee
2. Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau
3. Controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, Dr Edwin Tsui

Live Stream @ 3:30PM

https://webcast.info.gov.hk/revamp/eng/livecast.html
Announcements

• Measures to be relaxed from tomorrow 29th December.
  
  
• Lifting of quarantine orders - no quarantine orders for close contacts. Health advisories will be issued. No mandatory testing or quarantine for close contacts. They can move above freely, but need to be self aware and not go around licking MTR poles.
  
  Arrangements for +ve cases remains the same - for both escalation and isolation.
  
  
• Vaccine Pass to be cancelled.
  
  
• Remove all mandatory PCR tests for ALL inbound travellers do not need mandatory PCR tests. RATs will be required from day 0-5. Will need a RAT 24 or PCR 48 hours before departure. No health code / declaration to be done. People can do this if they want and keep a copy of their RAT or PCR for inspection if required.
  
  PCR test on arrival is cancelled. All arriving passengers to do RAT (suggested) from day 0-5.
  
  
• All social distancing measures cancelled - distance between tables, seating capacity restrictions & group gathering restrictions. Remove restrictions on catering premises. I think this includes RAT requirements from staff - check with your employers if you're a F&B employee.
  
  
• Wearing of masks mandatory on public transport and public places.
  
  
• Aimed at medical tourists? A&E will only provide treatment for severe cases. A&E will charge non-eligible persons 1xxx$ to ensure tourists don't arrive for treatment / medication.
  
  
• Aimed at medical tourists? Private doctors can order Covid medication and provide to their +ve patients. (Approx 6000$ if I heard correctly)
  
  
• Aimed at medical tourists? Changes being made to giving bi-valent / booster doses. 30 days requirement ... Toughing up for vaccination rules for private and public facilities. Will get more info, the conf is confusing.
  
  
• Targeting 15th of Jan for approval for "gradual and orderly" opening of borders... Gradual flight train and sea resumption. At land check points there were close 500K transfers a day. This has been suspended for 3 year - need to resume and ramp up capacity at these points. The concern is support infrastructure (think buses, taxes, MTR etc) at these land points.
  

[shri]

Pretty much everything removed other than mask-on requirements.

Not bothering with all the vaccine stats, justifications for dropping the measures etc ... we all know why.

Nice to see Prof Lo dance to a new tune ..

[pin]

Any news on pre-arrival declarations?

The 5 day RAT thing is still stupid.

[shri]

Any news on pre-arrival declarations?

The 5 day RAT thing is still stupid.

No pre-arrival declaration required - voluntary. Also suggested or implied that you don't really need to carry a photo of the RAT with you. Wait for the press release / details.

Even the 5 day RAT test seems to be "suggested" .. not mandatory (i.e. you'll get fined if you don't show records...) .Will have to wait for the press release.

[pin]

Also what about the elderly and children? I thought that is why all the measures were in place.

[TheBrit]

Elderly have had years to get vaccinated. Their lives, their risk. Can’t keep a city locked down indefinitely to protect one cohort of refuseniks.

[pin]

Elderly have had years to get vaccinated. Their lives, their risk. Can’t keep a city locked down indefinitely to protect one cohort of refuseniks.

But its all science based (as of yesterday).

[Cornmeal]

Will be live here at 3:30PM ...

• Lifting of quarantine orders ... They can move above freely, but need to be self aware and not go around licking MTR poles.

Nice throw back!

[shri]

Seems like there is a fair bit of tightening on vaccination and covid medication delivery. Residence requirements and relatively high costs in the private sector.

[vmlinuz]

We've spent three years trying to keep up with the neighbours - who have now shat the bed, so we don't need to pretend to try anymore...