A Government spokesman said today (April 10) that a chartered flight arranged by the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Morocco (Chinese Embassy in Morocco) for taking Chinese citizens stranded in Morocco back home is now flying to Guangzhou. The chartered flight, with 27 Hong Kong residents on board, is estimated to arrive at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport‬ at around 1pm today.
Morocco has been in a state of national emergency since early March, imposing strict restrictions on all marine, land and air traffic. As a result, Hong Kong residents in Morocco cannot depart there on their own through normal flight arrangement. To assist Chinese citizens stranded in Morocco to leave there, the Chinese Embassy in Morocco has arranged a chartered flight to bring the Chinese citizens, including 27 Hong Kong residents, back home. The chartered flight departed from Casablanca yesterday (April 9) and will arrive Guangzhou at around 1pm today. The cost is borne by the passengers.
As required under enhanced in-bound health management on the Mainland, all air passengers are required to undergo local 14-day isolation at a designated place for medical surveillance upon arrival in Guangzhou. Regarding the Hong Kong residents on board the chartered flight, after the discussions between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government, it is agreed that these people who have completed the immigration procedures and provided with a nucleic acid specimen upon arrival at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport will take a coach arranged by the HKSAR Government to leave there and return to Hong Kong via Shenzhen Bay Port.
When entering Hong Kong, the travellers concerned must undergo temperature screening and submit a health declaration form. Then they will be sent directly to the Department of Health's Temporary Specimen Collection Centre at the AsiaWorld-Expo for conducting COVID-19 testing, and stay there to wait for the test results. If tested positive, they will be transferred to the Hospital Authority's facility for isolation treatment. If accompanying travellers are close contacts of these people, they must proceed to a designated quarantine centre for a 14-day compulsory quarantine even if their test results are negative. Other travellers will also need to return home to complete the 14-day compulsory quarantine.
Eighteen Hong Kong residents who are currently still in Morocco did not take the chartered flight to leave there because of personal preference or other reasons. The HKSAR Government will continue to actively follow up with the Chinese Embassy in Morocco and a number of airlines to provide practicable and appropriate assistance to the affected Hong Kong residents and to make every effort to assist their return via other possible means.
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