HK adjusts testing rules for new arrivals

The Hong Kong government announced that starting Tuesday (Nov. 23), nucleic acid tests with deep throat saliva specimen will no longer be accepted for COVID-19 testing taken by people arriving in HK.

Generally, only arrivals under two categories are currently allowed to use deep throat saliva specimen for nucleic acid testing.

The first group is inbound travelers who have stayed in the Mainland or Macao and did not arrive in Hong Kong under the "Return2hk" or "Come2hk" schemes.

The second group is unvaccinated children aged under 12 who have only stayed in Group B specified places and are allowed to complete self-isolation at home with the accompanying people upon fulfillment of all the specified conditions.

Under the new arrangement, these people who arrive in Hong Kong on or after November 23 must attend a community testing center to undergo testing with combined nasal and throat swabs. Deep throat saliva specimen will no longer be accepted.

The relevant people must travel directly to and from their place of quarantine or isolation and the community testing centers. If public transport is to be engaged, only taxis can be used and the person concerned cannot disembark on the way.

They should also make a note of the car plate numbers of the vehicles taken and retain those records for 30 days from the transport day, or scan the LeaveHomeSafe QR code on the taxis using the LeaveHomeSafe mobile application on his or her mobile phone.

The government will gazette the relevant updated specifications under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation to effect the above measure on November 23.

Click here for details on the corresponding boarding, compulsory quarantine and testing requirements for relevant specified places.