In a relief for Hong Kong residents who have been vaccinated in India, the Hong Kong government has said that from Wednesday, September 8, those who hold vaccination records issued by the relevant authorities of India, Malaysia, Pakistan or Thailand will be allowed to board flights to the country. The rule will come into effect from midnight on September 8, the government said.
Earlier, the Hong Kong government did not allow those vaccinated with Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield vaccine to enter the country, as it only recognises vaccination records from countries specified in the World Health Organisation’s SRA list. WHO’s list of Stringent Regulatory Authorities (SRAs) consists of 36 countries, of which India is not a part. So, while Covishield is recognised by Hong Kong, those who received it were not eligible for direct entry. However, India’s homegrown COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, has not yet received even emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the WHO, and thus not recognised by the Hong Kong government.
Hong Kong not recognising Indian vaccination records led to difficulties for residents stuck in India, as they were forced to fly to another country, not a part of Hong Kong’s Category A list, undergo 21 days of quarantine there and then board a flight to Hong Kong. Upon reaching, they had to show proof of their booking in one of the pre-designated quarantine hotels, and isolate themselves for a further 21-day period. Even then, before boarding the flight to Hong Kong, travellers were required to hold recognised vaccination documents.
TNM had earlier reported that many Indians who were residents of Hong Kong were forced to spend a 21-day "washout" period in a country which was not in Hong Kong's group A in order to go to Hong Kong. This was in addition to the mandatory quarantine they would have to go through in Hong Kong. With this change, Hong Kong residents in India vaccinated with Covishield can take flights directly to Hong Kong, and only do the mandatory quarantine there, forgoing the washout period.