Hong Kong has extended the quarantine period for all travelers arriving from outside China for a week to 21 days, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Intensified efforts are taking place as officials try to mitigate the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus detected in the UK that may be more transmissible than the initial strain.
“Taking note of the drastic change in the global pandemic situation with the new virus variant found in more countries, it is necessary for the government to introduce measures decided immediately … to ensure that no case slips through the net even very exceptional cases where the incubation period of the virus is more than 14 days, ”a Hong Kong government spokesman said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Along with the extended quarantine period, which will take effect on Friday, Hong Kong also bans all people who have stayed in South Africa for the past 21 days from embarking in Hong Kong, according to Reuters.
Hong Kong had already banned all flights arriving from the UK.
The United States is also taking steps to mitigate the spread of the new variant of the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday afternoon the U.S. will require all airline passengers arriving from the UK to take a negative coronavirus test before boarding their flights.