The SUN HK : Warning as fake advisory on purported travel ban on Phl circulates

By The SUN

CG Tejada says he has asked authorities to investigate the source of the fake advisory

Filipino migrant workers struggling to book a place in a quarantine hotel in Hong Kong are getting agitated some more by a letter that began circulating today, Nov. 8, saying a travel ban will be imposed on the Philippines again starting next month.

The letter with a Hong Kong International Airport logo and which purportedly came from Chief Executive Carrie Lam says all passenger flights from the Philippines, India and Pakistan will be suspended for six months starting Dec. 20.

This was supposedly due to the three countries being reclassified anew as “extremely high-risk Group A specified places.”

“The suspension will be effective for 6 months. So, please book your flights before 20 December or there will be no access to Hong Kong for 6 months after December 20 until the situation is calm,” said the purported advisory from Mrs Lam.

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Curiously, the letter was addressed to “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.”

Acting quickly, Consul General Raly Tejada posted a message on his personal Facebook page that the purported letter is fake. He also said he has asked Hong Kong authorities to look into whoever was behind it.

“Fake po ito. Wag na po natin patulan at ikalat!”, he said in his post. (This is fake. Please pay no heed and don’t spread it around).

In a brief message to The SUN, Congen also said, “I also reported it to HK authorities who promised to investigate.”

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While the letter obviously looked fake to most, it still caused uncertainty to some of the thousands of Filipino domestic workers who are despairing to over their inability to book a quarantine place in Hong Kong so they could take up their jobs here.

One said, “Hello, may I ask if that is legit? Sabi ng kaibigan ko na nasa Pilipinas nasaraduhan na daw ulit sila ng booking sa quarantine facilities dito sa HK, tapos iyan ho ang pinapakita ng agency sa kanila.” (My friend in the Philippines said she was again unable to book a place in the quarantine places here in HK, then her agency showed her that).

Many who shared the note in private did not seem to believe the fake information, but were nevertheless shaken enough to ask for affirmation.

As of this writing, no less than five people have forwarded it, all wanting to get an assurance that the months they have spent trying to find their way to Hong Kong have not been for naught.

Thousands of Filipino workers struggle to book a quarantine place in HK

What is true, however, is that Hong Kong has effectively banned all unvaccinated tourists from coming to the city, as it reclassified New Zealand as a medium-risk country starting on Nov. 17.

A statement posted on the government information website said that the reclassification is the result of New Zealand’s policy shift in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, and the rise in the number of confirmed cases in the country.

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“New Zealand authorities have announced earlier that they would pursue the policy of 'living with the virus' and have set their full vaccination target,” said the statement.

“We note that the number of confirmed cases there has been increasing. As the risk of the importation of cases has heightened, we have to tighten the quarantine requirements for persons arriving at Hong Kong from New Zealand."

Previously, New Zealand was the only place classified as “low risk” or as Category C, where non-Hong Kong residents were allowed entry but must spend 21 days in a designated quarantine hotel.

As a medium-risk place, all fully vaccinated people coming from the country will be subject to 14-day hotel quarantine. In addition, they will have to undergo four Covid-19 tests during their quarantine, followed by a seven-day self-monitoring period, and get tested again on the 16^th and 19^th day of their arrival.

Residents who have not received the full two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine will be allowed entry, but they must spend 21 days in hotel quarantine, during which they will be tested six times. After their isolation, they will be required to undergo another test on the 26^th day of their arrival.

These are the same conditions imposed on all vaccinated residents arriving from a high risk or category A country like the Philippines. Non-vaccinated people, whether residents or not, will not be allowed entry, unless they have a medical certificate showing they are not fit to be vaccinated, or do not fall within the required age bracket.

Details on the boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements for various specified places can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/inbound-travel.html.