Wing of plane flying over London at golden hour
Cover Flights from the UK to Hong Kong have been suspended as of July 1. (Photo: Getty Images)

The government has announced the suspension of passenger flights from the UK to Hong Kong due to rising Covid-19 cases.

After a brief resumption of passenger flights in May and June, the Hong Kong government has once again announced a ban on flights from the UK from July 1––with the country's rising Covid-19 case numbers the reason for the suspension.

See also: Hong Kong Social Distancing And Travel Rules For Covid-19: What You Can And Can’t Do

With Britain now classified as "extremely high risk", from July 1, all inbound passenger flights from the UK will be suspended. Travellers who have spent more than 2 hours in the UK in the 21 days before travelling are banned from entering Hong Kong. The new measures are a significant change for UK travellers, who for a brief period only had to complete 14-days of hotel quarantine if they were fully-vaccinated

Tatler Asia
Plane on the ground at Hong Kong airport
Above A plane on the ground at Hong Kong International Airport (Photo: Getty Images)

With high vaccination rates and a reduction of social distancing measures, the UK appeared to have bounced back after a deadly winter second wave––which saw a months-long lockdown across the country. However, in April 2021, the number of highly contagious Delta variant cases––first detected in India––began to rise. As of June 29, the number of positive Covid-19 cases in the UK was over 22,000 per day. 

Despite the high case numbers, the country's vaccination programme––over 60% of UK adults are now fully vaccinated––is reducing the number of deaths and hospitalisations in the UK, according to BBC News. 

See also: All The Covid-19 Vaccination Incentives Hongkongers Can Receive: #OurBestShot

While UK flights will be suspended until further notice, the government will offer reduced hotel quarantine for fully-vaccinated travellers and those who can provide an approved antibody test from low-risk countries. Find out how and where to get a government-approved antibody test in Hong Kong before you travel here. 

See also: Where To Get Covid-19 Antibody Testing In Hong Kong