Hong Kong includes Canada, U.S. in travel ban as Omicron surges
Global News
The two-week ban on passenger flights from countries like Canada, France, India and Great Britain will take effect Sunday and continue until Jan. 21.
Hong Kong authorities announced a two-week ban on flights from the United States and seven other countries and held 2,500 passengers on a cruise ship for COVID-19 testing Wednesday as the city attempted to stem an emerging Omicron outbreak.
The two-week ban on passenger flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Great Britain and the United States will take effect Sunday and continue until Jan. 21.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam also announced that restaurant dining will be forbidden after 6 p.m. for two weeks starting Friday. Game arcades, bars and beauty salons must also close during that period.
“We have to contain the pandemic to ensure that there will not be a major outbreak in the community again,” Lam said at a news conference, adding that the city is “on the verge” of another surge.
The measures came as new Omicron clusters have emerged over the past week, many linked to several Cathay Pacific crew members who broke isolation rules and dined at restaurants and bars in the city before testing positive.
Hong Kong has reported 114 Omicron variant cases as of Tuesday, with most being imported. On Tuesday, it reported its first untraceable case in nearly three months, which authorities said was likely caused by the Omicron variant.
Hong Kong officials have moved swiftly to block the spread of the variant, locking down residential buildings where people have tested positive and mass-testing thousands of people.
That includes about 2,500 passengers who were being held Wednesday on a cruise ship in Hong Kong for coronavirus tests, after health authorities said nine passengers were linked to an Omicron cluster and ordered the ship to turn back.
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