Hong Kong announced on Monday that it would lift its ban on flights from nine countries on April 1, easing one of the city’s most stringent travel restrictions.
The Chinese territory early this year banned flights from the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines in an attempt to keep virus numbers close to zero. But Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, said on Monday that vaccinated Hong Kong residents would only have to quarantine for seven days, instead of 14.
An Omicron surge has led to 5,683 deaths in Hong Kong since the outbreak began in January. Researchers estimate that nearly half of the city may have been infected by the virus.
For most of the pandemic, Hong Kong has sealed itself off from the rest of the world and required travelers to quarantine for as long as three weeks in a hotel.
