According to the South China Morning Post, United Airlines has again postponed the resumption of its service in Hong Kong due to a new COVID-19 testing requirement on all crew members imposed by the government with effect from July 8. The service resumption was canceled because the pilots’ Union of United Airlines was worried about how the coronavirus test would be conducted in Hong Kong.
“Flights to Hong Kong are postponed to the 10th, and we are currently assessing the impact of testing measures in Hong Kong on our future operations,” a spokesman of United Airlines said in a statement. The airline had a schedule to fly from San Francisco to Hong Kong on July 8.
American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) also said that they would delay its plan to resume Hong Kong routes until August, with no reason specified.
There were 24 COVID-19 cases confirmed on July 8, including 5 imported cases according to local media reports. The government health official commented that they could not trace the source of recent cases, and this situation is likely to lead to a major outbreak.
Hong Kong announced to implement several port control measures to prevent importing coronavirus from overseas, including:
Returnees from high-risk areas:
The Hong Kong government will discuss with the consuls to arrange the return of Hong Kong people from high-risk regions in an orderly manner to control the number of imported cases. These high-risk areas include Pakistan, India, South Africa, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Cargo and passenger ships:
The shippers are required to arrange testing for all crew members at the departure place before they can arrive in Hong Kong. Violators may be refused to enter.
Crew:
From July 8, all crew members must undergo a deep-throat saliva samples before entry permit.