HK recognises 10 vaccines for reduced quarantine

The government says it will recognise 10 different coronavirus vaccines for Hong Kong residents to be allowed shorter quarantine periods when they return from overseas.

From Wednesday, the quarantine period will be cut from 14 days to seven for fully vaccinated travellers flying in from “low-risk” countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Those coming back from “medium and high-risk” countries, including Canada and the US, will be required to undergo 14 days of quarantine instead of 21, again only if they’re fully vaccinated.

The government said it will recognise vaccines made by well-known manufacturers such as AstraZeneca, BioNTech and Moderna. Five mainland-made vaccines, including those produced by Sinovac and Sinopharm, will also be accepted.

But travellers from “very high-risk countries”, including Ireland and the UK, will be put under quarantine for 21 days regardless of whether they have taken a vaccine or not.

Meanwhile, anyone who has stayed for more than two hours in countries considered “extremely high-risk”, including Brazil, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa, are not allowed to board a flight to Hong Kong.