Hong Kong to Tighten COVID-19 Rules, Hopes China Reopens

Hong Kong to Tighten COVID-19 Rules, Hopes China Reopens
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam wearing an arm brace after suffering fracture from fall at home, attends a press conference in Hong Kong, on Oct. 26, 2021. Kin Cheung/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

HONG KONG—Hong Kong will tighten COVID-19 restrictions despite a lack of local outbreaks to better align with China’s policies and increase chances of quarantine-free travel between the territory and mainland, leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday.

It will step up contact tracing, such as requiring the use of its LeaveHomeSafe app in government premises to record the coming and going of visitors. It will also tighten quarantine rules to exempt only emergency workers or those in essential industries such as logistics. Currently, those exempt from quarantine include airline crew, banking and insurance executives, directors of public companies, as well as crew members on cargo and passenger ships, among others.