The SUN HK : Canada, Australia and 11 more countries now ‘high risk’ due to Omicron

By The SUN

First photos of the Omicron variant show it to have far more mutations than Delta

Starting from today, Nov 30, several more countries previously classified as “medium risk” for Covid-19 have been moved to the Group A or high-risk categories after cases of the highly feared Omicron variant were detected in their territories.

They include four additional African countries upgraded to the highly restricted group from today, and nine in various continents which will be moved to the top tier starting on Dec 2.

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To be re-classified starting Thursday are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Israel and Italy.

After Hong Kong detected a third case of the Omicron variant in a newly arrived traveler from Nigeria, this west African country has also been included in the high-risk group, along with neighboring Angola, Ethiopia and Zambia.

They joined eight southern African countries already moved to the highly restricted group starting Saturday.

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All travelers from the African continent will not only be required to be fully vaccinated residents who must undergo 21 days of quarantine, they will also have to spend the first seven days of this period in Penny’s Bay where they will be tested and checked on everyday.

If they test negative, they will be allowed to move into the designated hotel they had picked for their quarantine and spend the additional 14 days of isolation there. If they are found infected, they will be moved to the infection control centre at North Lantau Hospital where they will spend no less than 24 days in isolation.

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For all other high-risk places outside of Africa, only residents will be allowed to enter Hong Kong. In addition, they will have to be fully vaccinated, present a negative result for a RT-PCR test done within 72 hours before boarding, and have a confirmed booking for their 21-day quarantine at a designated hotel.

At least six tests will be conducted during the 21-day quarantine, followed by another compulsory test in a community testing centre on the 26th day of arrival at Hong Kong.

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The stricter quarantine and testing arrangement is currently applicable to inbound travelers from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Omicron has prompted most countries to tighten entry restrictions

Omicron, which has caused global concern because of its large number of mutations and the possibility that it is resistant to vaccines, was first detected in South Africa on Nov 24, though various reports say it had infected people in Botswana much earlier.

On Nov 26, the World Health Organization listed it as a “variant of concern,” on the same day two linked cases of a mutant strain found in Hong Kong were also detected to be of the Omicron variant.

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A returnee from South African was found to have brought the mutated virus into Hong Kong, and infected a man from Canada who stayed in the opposite room at their quarantine hotel.

Details on the relevant boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements for each specified place can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/inbound-travel.html.

In its statement announcing the heightened restrictions, the government said it will continue to closely monitor the Covid-19 situation in various places and adjust its boarding, quarantine and testing requirements accordingly.