Coronavirus: aircrew quarantine rules will be lifted if enough staff get Covid-19 vaccine, Hong Kong government tells airlines

Mandatory quarantine for local aircrew will be removed if enough staff are inoculated against the coronavirus, officials have told Hong Kong-based airlines, the Post has learned. The government is putting pressure on local carriers to boost vaccination rates, which reflect the slow uptake for jabs citywide, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions. Airlines are being lured with the incentive of having costly quarantine measures removed, two sources said. Hong Kong introduced quarantine measures on February 20 for any local flight crew who had stayed outside the city. The rule exempted those arriving from mainland China, and Anchorage in Alaska, a key stopover for Cathay Pacific Airways freighter flights where crews in transit self-isolate. Aircrew must quarantine for 14 days, followed by seven days of self-health checks at home. Cathay Pacific requires staff to work for three weeks and do two weeks of quarantine at a hotel before returning to the local community. In a statement, the government said it was incorporating incentives for fully vaccinated people into its anti-epidemic measures.<br/>