Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Seven passengers found with Covid-19, but no Hong Kong ban for Qatar Airways

Seven passengers found with Covid-19, but no Hong Kong ban for Qatar Airways

Passengers not in the same place at the same time when test results arrived, so airline is spared penalty

Qatar Airways has escaped being penalised after seven people who arrived in Hong Kong on consecutive flights tested positive for Covid-19, raising questions about a loophole in the way airlines are assessed for punishment if they bring in sick passengers.

The Doha-based carrier appears to have got away on a technicality.

Under Hong Kong’s rules, an airline may be banned from flying to the city for two weeks if two consecutive flights from the same destination bring a combined three or more passengers who test positive for Covid-19 at the airport’s Temporary Specimen Collection Centre (TSCC).

Earlier this month, seven passengers on consecutive Qatar Airways flights were tested upon arrival and found to be infected, but the airline was not penalised.


Arrivals receive electronic wristbands at Hong Kong International Airport to monitor their movement during quarantine.


The reason? The Post understands some of the passengers’ test results did not come on the day they arrived, and by the time they learned they were positive, some were no longer at the airport, as they had been moved to spend the night at the airport’s holding hotel.

If all six results had come on the same day while the passengers were still at the airport, a ban on Qatar would have been triggered, according to Department of Health rules.

The seventh infected passenger was a toddler, whose test result took longer to be confirmed.

The Department of Health confirmed that those who tested positive for the coronavirus were sent to hospital from the airport and the holding hotel, but declined to provide more details.

It said in a statement that no Qatar Airways flight since December 4 had met “established criteria” for it to be banned from landing in Hong Kong.

All passengers arriving in the city are tested at the TSCC, and get their results in around eight hours. Those whose test results are not returned on the same day are sent to the holding centre hotel for the night. These are mainly passengers of flights that land in the afternoon or at night.

The Qatar Airways case raised the possibility of a loophole, as it revealed that the authorities treat imported infections differently, depending on whether passengers on the same flight get their results on the same day, and if they find out while they are in the same place.


Chinese University respiratory medicine expert Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, who advises the government on the pandemic, said he would support a change in the government’s criteria for assessing such situations.

“I think they should include those who turn positive at the hotel, because they are still the same bunch of passengers,” he said.

While it would be best if everyone waited at the airport for their test results, he agreed it would be unsuitable to keep them there instead of sending them to a hotel if they had to wait overnight.

Qatar Airways told the Post it worked with authorities worldwide to implement Covid-19 rules and required passengers from some countries, predominantly in South Asia and the Middle East, to produce test results before allowing them to fly.

“Safety is our priority, and Qatar Airways implements comprehensive hygiene measures on board, where 99.998 per cent of our passengers travel Covid-19-free,” it said.

There were 8,078 confirmed infections and 129 related deaths in Hong Kong as of Saturday, with about 2,500 cases since the fourth wave of infections began last month.

The city has largely been successful in controlling the spread of the coronavirus. Medical research has shown the city’s current surge in infections was sparked by a new strain of the virus imported from Nepal and India, most likely brought in by travellers who then infected family members and others during their home quarantine.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pledged two weeks ago to crack down on imported cases, including through more stringent rules for airlines, as part of a raft of measures aimed at combating the city’s fourth wave.

Airlines can be banned from landing in Hong Kong for a fortnight if a single flight brings five or more passengers who test positive at the airport for Covid-19 and the results are returned on the same day.

Earlier this month, KLM and British Airways were issued bans. The authorities did not provide details other than saying airlines could be penalised for bringing in a single Covid-19 passenger and also breaching at least one of the criteria for allowing travellers to board flights to Hong Kong, such as incorrect documentation of test results.

Airlines have been slapped with penalties 16 times so far, with Air India alone accounting for five two-week bans.

Professor Ben Cowling, head of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Hong Kong’s school of public health, said airlines already faced strict rules related to pandemic health control measures.

He felt it was worth looking at easing the rules for flights from places with no Covid-19 cases.

“For example, we could do tests on arrival for returning residents from Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand, with no need for 14-day hotel quarantine,” he suggested.

Such a policy could remain so long as no passengers arriving from those places tested positive on arrival.

Chinese University’s Hui agreed it was worth easing the rules to reward low-risk places, while imposing tougher measures such as preflight tests for passengers from high-risk spots.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×