Hong Kong has placed the UK on the "extremely high-risk" list, which also includes South Africa, India, Nepal and Pakistan. All incoming flights will be banned starting July 1, 2021 for an undisclosed period.Hong Kong bans entry to anyone who has been to Britain more than twice in the last 21 days. Those who have just arrived in Hong Kong would also need to be quarantined for three weeks, regardless of whether or not they have received any vaccinations.Here is a link to the HKs Coronavirus page.BA has eliminated all availability for flights departing from Hong Kong. Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific, however, appear to be continuing services.Virgin flights from the UK to Hong Kong are listed as canceled. Cathays flight does not appear in the search. Similar to the above, BAs flights have been removed.Here's the announcement by the HK SAR governmentPlace-specific flight suspension mechanism invoked by Government for UK suspends passenger flights All passenger flights from the UK are prohibited from landing in Hong Kong starting at 0.00 AM on July 1, Hong Kong time. To prevent people from transiting to Hong Kong from being affected by the N501Y mutant strain or other virus mutations, the UK will be designated as an extremely high risk Group A1 specific place. The place-specific flight suspension mechanism applies to passenger flights from the same location, regardless of airline. If five or more passengers are confirmed positive for COVID-19 with N501Y or the relevant virus mutation in arrival tests within seven days, or 10 or more passengers were tested (including during quarantine) with the N501Y mutation or relevant virus mutation, the Government will invoke Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers Regulation (Cap. 599H to ban all passenger flights from that location from landing in Hong Kong. The relevant place will also be designated as an extremely high risk Group A1 listed place under Cap. 599H to prohibit persons who have been in the area for more than 2 hours from boarding passenger flight to Hong Kong. Hong Kong declared the UK an extremely high-risk country in response to the UK's severe epidemic situation at the end last year. It also restricted travel to Hong Kong for people who had been in the UK. The UK implemented a number of anti-epidemic and large-scale vaccinations to improve the UK's situation. The Government relaxed restrictions on UK residents who had been in the UK in April and May. This included allowing Hong Kong residents to fly to the UK via designated flights. From May 7, the UK's specification was lowered to a very high risk Group A2 specific place. Further, the UK's specification was lowered to a high risk Group B specified location from June 4. The Government announced that the UK would be upgraded to a Group A2 designated place on June 24, in light of the current rebound in the UK's epidemic situation and the presence of the Delta variant virus strain, as well as the number of cases of L452R mutation virus strains found in people who arrived from the UK via test-and-hold or quarantine. However, there have been a few cases of variant virus strains imported from the UK that have been persistently detected over the last few days. The Government will invoke the place-specific flight suspension in the UK on July 1, as the numbers of relevant imported cases have reached the threshold. It will also specify the UK to be a Group A1 designated place. The epidemic situation in high-risk areas, such as. Brazil, India and Pakistan are all affected by the epidemic. 599H will be maintained. The relevant updated specifications will be gazetted by the Government under the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Passengers Regulation (Cap. 599H) will be in effect on July 1. A Government spokesperson said that the Government will continue to monitor the epidemic situation in various areas, the spread of new viruses, vaccination progress and changes in cross-boundary passenger flow. The Government will also adjust the boarding requirements and compulsory quarantine requirements for those arriving at Hong Kong from the relevant places as necessary. You can find details about the grouping of specific places, their respective boarding requirements and compulsory quarantine requirements at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/inbound.html.ConclusionIt is my assumption that Cathay Pacific, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will continue their flight from Hong Kong to London.Residents returning to their home cities with mandatory quarantine have strict entry restrictions. I'm not sure what degree of protection cancellations of flights from London to Hong Kong provide, if any.
