Aircrew including pilots and flight attendants flying to Hong Kong have a new Covid testing conundrum to deal with as the territory progressively lifts its stringent pandemic border rules that until only last month have largely kept Hong Kong isolated from the rest of the world.
Under new rules set to be introduced on Sunday, aircrew arriving in Hong Kong will still be subjected to mandatory swabbing with a highly-sensitive PCR test, but they’ll then have to decide whether to wait around in the airport for the result or leave immediately.
You might wonder why anyone would want to want to wait for their test result as part of a policy called ‘Test and Hold’ when they could just go home or to their hotel. This is especially true given that test results can take several hours to process.
The dilemma, however, is that in a city that still tracks the movements of citizens and visitors via a pandemic-era health app, the two options grant varying levels of freedom once in Hong Kong.
For aircrew who choose the ‘Test and Go’ option, they’ll be restricted from entering certain public spaces for three days and will be subjected to even more COVID-19 tests than the previous ‘Test and Hold’ policy.
Aircrew will have an amber code in their LeaveHomeSafe app for three days that prohibits them entering bars and restaurants for three days. They’ll also have to take three more PCR tests on days two, four and six after arrival and take daily self-administered RAT tests for seven days.
The policy mimics the arrivals process that was recently introduced for foreign visitors and Hong Kong residents as part of the territory’s grand reopening to the world.
But flight attendants who have the patience to wait around Hong Kong International Airport after a long flight will be rewarded with a blue code in their LeaveHomeSafe app that will grant them access to all public spaces immediately.
For much of the pandemic, most aircrew arriving from international destinations apart from mainland China were made to go into quarantine – a policy that was especially cruel for local aircrew at Cathay Pacific.
Test and Hold was introduced in September as strict border rules have slowly been rolled back. In recent days, local aircrew have been allowed to start leaving their hotel rooms during international layovers as part of a concerted effort to attact people back into the airline industry.
Just let HK die already. The rest of the world has moved on. China is going to invade shortly anyway while they distract Brandon with a bowl of mint chip ice cream.
I’m thankful for the time I’ve had there but I don’t think I’ll ever return….nor should any other reasonable person or company.
They are short staffed already, I don’t think attacking people back into the airline industry will work. 😀 Making a concerted effort to attract people back into the industry will be more effective.
In recent days, local aircrew have been allowed to start leaving their hotel rooms during international layovers as part of a concerted effort to attack people back into the airline industry.
Many thanks!