Arriving as Pax to VHHH
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Arriving as Pax to VHHH
Has anyone arrived as PAX into Hong Kong since the mandatory bus to the Asia World Expo and testing was introduced?
I am interested in what to expect, how long to wait for the results at the Expo (I had heard up to 12 hours...), is it just plastic chairs to sit on, are there refreshment facilities etc. etc.
This journey needs a bit of planning and any information would help. The government web sites are very thin on detail.
Many thanks
I am interested in what to expect, how long to wait for the results at the Expo (I had heard up to 12 hours...), is it just plastic chairs to sit on, are there refreshment facilities etc. etc.
This journey needs a bit of planning and any information would help. The government web sites are very thin on detail.
Many thanks
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Local news said that if you arrive in the afternoon/evening, you get to spend the night in quarantine at a hotel. When the result of your test comes in the morning, you will be sent to home quarantine or to hospital depending on the result.
Thread Starter
Thanks for the above. That helps with the planning. Do you know if you are able to get to one of the (few) open shops before being carted off to the Asia Expo?
Thread Starter
Thanks boocs that means we can get a couple of bottles of water when we arrive. Lunch we can brown bag in a suitcase.
Speaking to a friend who is a returning resident to Lebanon and she says that they take your bloods then whisk you off to a 5* hotel for the day. Now that sounds a better plan!
Speaking to a friend who is a returning resident to Lebanon and she says that they take your bloods then whisk you off to a 5* hotel for the day. Now that sounds a better plan!
I arrived on 17th April. From touchdown to leaving the exhibition centre was less than two hours. You go to your nominated abode. No need to wait for results. The wristband seems to be a joke. It's a plastic box with air inside I am sure.
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As I was given the above advice here is my experience on 28th April
On arrival at CLK at 06.30 we were parked on an outer bay, for reasons not given but that meant we were all herded onto buses. Several passengers were volubly angry at this and it would be a great place to pick up a virus.
We were taken to the lower arrivals hall where the first stage of processing was started. We noted that all the many staff in the terminal were dressed in PPE kit that the NHS in the UK would die for, indeed that is exactly what they are doing for lack of it. Our medical forms, provided onboard, were read and marked up and our phone numbers checked and more paperwork handed out. If we had not already downloaded our tracking apps we did it there and the wrist band tracker was put on and secured. It is about the size of a young pilots watch but appreciably lighter.
After that it was upstairs to immigration where one officer checked everybody, no complaints there as there were so few passengers per minute that there was no queue. We picked up baggage as normal and were guided after customs by roped off areas and security staff to the bus to take us to the Asia Expo centre. Total elapsed time so far from brakes on, about an hour and a half. There was no opportunity for us to buy food or drink at the airport.
The bus is a normal HATS type bus but they only seem to take ten pax at a time which was comforting. At Asia Expo we took our bags off (helped by handlers) and left them all in a secure staffed area and given a baggage tag. We then got back on the bus to take us to the other side of Asia Expo. Here we were interviewed, given a bag with a sample tube in it, more paperwork and told to go and watch an explanatory video of the sample taking procedure. We skipped the video as it is pretty obvious and went to a booth to give the sample.
This is a new procedure. The reasons that intra-oral swabs are not now used are beyond this post so now you spit into the tube in your sample bag. For the convenience of those of you who are new to Asia the process is helpfully translated into English as “Make the noise of ‘Kruuua’ from the throat…” which had me in stitches for a minute as I had never seen that pan-asian utterance written down.
Now the hard part. On to another vast room in the expo centre in which are set out around 200 chairs and desks separated by 4 metres like an examination room. Invigilators in PPE line the walls, and you are allocated a desk. And there you sit for seven hours. A Maxims sandwich and a bottle of water is given after an hour. We were told not to fraternise but family groups are allowed to share a desk. The seats are hard so I sat on the spare clothes in my cabin bag to save the piles. The temperature is very cold, so bring a coat or sweater, or you will catch a flu. Oh, wait…
At 3.00pm a supervisor called us forward by number, told us we were negative and we were given yet another envelope with a sample tube to be used in 12 days time and he bade us fare well. Taxis are available outside after walking to the old Marriot or a bus will take you back to the airport. We did not see any taxis back at the airport, you will need to call for one, but I was advised very few drivers will come out there now. The Airport Express still runs.
So now I am back home housebound for 14 days. No movement outside the four walls of the flat allowed. Luckily someone had stocked the fridge and will deliver stuff daily, but even after one day I long to get out and exercise. It is going to be a long quarantine, but at least I am home.
On arrival at CLK at 06.30 we were parked on an outer bay, for reasons not given but that meant we were all herded onto buses. Several passengers were volubly angry at this and it would be a great place to pick up a virus.
We were taken to the lower arrivals hall where the first stage of processing was started. We noted that all the many staff in the terminal were dressed in PPE kit that the NHS in the UK would die for, indeed that is exactly what they are doing for lack of it. Our medical forms, provided onboard, were read and marked up and our phone numbers checked and more paperwork handed out. If we had not already downloaded our tracking apps we did it there and the wrist band tracker was put on and secured. It is about the size of a young pilots watch but appreciably lighter.
After that it was upstairs to immigration where one officer checked everybody, no complaints there as there were so few passengers per minute that there was no queue. We picked up baggage as normal and were guided after customs by roped off areas and security staff to the bus to take us to the Asia Expo centre. Total elapsed time so far from brakes on, about an hour and a half. There was no opportunity for us to buy food or drink at the airport.
The bus is a normal HATS type bus but they only seem to take ten pax at a time which was comforting. At Asia Expo we took our bags off (helped by handlers) and left them all in a secure staffed area and given a baggage tag. We then got back on the bus to take us to the other side of Asia Expo. Here we were interviewed, given a bag with a sample tube in it, more paperwork and told to go and watch an explanatory video of the sample taking procedure. We skipped the video as it is pretty obvious and went to a booth to give the sample.
This is a new procedure. The reasons that intra-oral swabs are not now used are beyond this post so now you spit into the tube in your sample bag. For the convenience of those of you who are new to Asia the process is helpfully translated into English as “Make the noise of ‘Kruuua’ from the throat…” which had me in stitches for a minute as I had never seen that pan-asian utterance written down.
Now the hard part. On to another vast room in the expo centre in which are set out around 200 chairs and desks separated by 4 metres like an examination room. Invigilators in PPE line the walls, and you are allocated a desk. And there you sit for seven hours. A Maxims sandwich and a bottle of water is given after an hour. We were told not to fraternise but family groups are allowed to share a desk. The seats are hard so I sat on the spare clothes in my cabin bag to save the piles. The temperature is very cold, so bring a coat or sweater, or you will catch a flu. Oh, wait…
At 3.00pm a supervisor called us forward by number, told us we were negative and we were given yet another envelope with a sample tube to be used in 12 days time and he bade us fare well. Taxis are available outside after walking to the old Marriot or a bus will take you back to the airport. We did not see any taxis back at the airport, you will need to call for one, but I was advised very few drivers will come out there now. The Airport Express still runs.
So now I am back home housebound for 14 days. No movement outside the four walls of the flat allowed. Luckily someone had stocked the fridge and will deliver stuff daily, but even after one day I long to get out and exercise. It is going to be a long quarantine, but at least I am home.
Thread Starter
Yes I have AO on my HKID card. Only HK residents are allowed to land at the moment although that may change next month. And yes immigration was empty, even with the one officer and no machines working. Strangely unsettling being in such an empty airport.
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What is the difference between HK PR and Residence card? Mine is a 4 year Identity card, is that considered a resident card? Also, can you use the aircrew channel if you have a letter from your company saying you are coming into Hong Kong on a commercial aircraft but will be an operating crew outbound in order to avoid the 14 day quarantine?
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PR means you're a permanent resident - you get one after living here for 7 years.
A Residence card just means you live and/or work here - an ID card, similar to the PR card, but without the words 'Permanent' on the top.
If you're not a resident, you're not allowed into HKG.
If you are a resident, you get tested, tagged and bagged and spend 14 days in your flat or hotel electronically monitored.
A Residence card just means you live and/or work here - an ID card, similar to the PR card, but without the words 'Permanent' on the top.
If you're not a resident, you're not allowed into HKG.
If you are a resident, you get tested, tagged and bagged and spend 14 days in your flat or hotel electronically monitored.
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Thanks Clog, I am just a resident then as I have a 2 year ID card haven’t been here 7 years yet, I renew my ID card every 2 years. I haven’t done it yet but was told by a coworker, which we both work for a business jet operator, and he says that you could get a letter from your company explaining you are coming in on a commercial flight but will operate a flight outbound in a few days later. This allowed you to proceed through the aircrew channel line and avoid the quarantine. Anybody have any experience trying that?
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Wyoming,
From the HK government web site FAQs, https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/i...faq.html#FAQ31
31. Are crew members exempted under Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation?
The following categories of persons can be exempted from the quarantine requirement:
From the HK government web site FAQs, https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/i...faq.html#FAQ31
31. Are crew members exempted under Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation?
The following categories of persons can be exempted from the quarantine requirement:
- crew members of aircrafts (sic) who need to commute to and from foreign places for performance of necessary duties;
- crew members of goods vessels;
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A nice company would, but CX won't, they'll let you quarantine like the rest of the pax, it's taken care of in their roster. I don't know how long Hong Kong will keep the quarantine requirements, but for commuters, without the help of the company, it's going to be impossible to live, unless they put them on the GD of the inbound flight. With everyone soon on COS18, it's clear that we will
have to commute from Thailand, Vietnam or Philippines to survive.
have to commute from Thailand, Vietnam or Philippines to survive.