The United States, the United Kingdom, and six other countries have been temporarily banned from flying in and out of Hong Kong.
The two-week ban on passenger flights from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines will begin at midnight on Sunday. Hong Kong will be closing bars, museums, gyms and beauty salons and banning dining in restaurants after 6pm for two weeks in January. The first cases of community Omicron infections in the city sparked fears that Hong Kong is on the verge of another wave according to leader Carrie Lam.
"We have to take decisive measures because we are facing a very dire situation," she said. We are hoping the short-term pain will pay off as our strategy is to be fast, harsh and precise.
Hong Kong is banning evening dining for two weeks.
Hong Kong has some of the strictest border measures in the world. It's trying to stamp out any traces of the virus in mainland China. Most foreign visitors are banned from entering, and almost all international arrivals are required to undergo 21 days ofQuarantine at a government-designated hotel, regardless of vaccination status.
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"We need to contain the Pandemic to make sure that it doesn't happen again in the community," she said.
The Omicron outbreak threatens to disrupt the celebrations of the lunar new year.
