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The scheme applies solely to fully-vaccinated individuals, and will allow two returning executives and two visiting executives to skip the quarantine per month.
Up to four senior executives and overseas affiliates (i.e. two returning and two visiting executives) from every financial services firm licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) can apply for quarantine exemption before their flight every month, according to SFC's official website.
Examples of these licensed firms include investment banks, securities brokerages and asset management companies.
The scheme applies solely to fully-vaccinated individuals, and is targeted at two groups of people:
1. Returning executives: Senior executives with global or regional roles who are returning to Hong Kong after travelling to foreign places primarily for the purposes of managing the group entities for which they have responsibility. [quota of two per month]
2. Visiting executives: Global or regional heads or senior executives who are travelling to Hong Kong primarily for the purposes of managing the licensed corporation. [quota of two per month]
The maximum number of entries for this monthly scheme is four in total — two for returning executives and two for visiting executives.
Under this scheme, employers have the following obligations:
1. Keep an up-to-date record of the itinerary of the exempted executive for the entire duration of the trip (for a visiting executive) or throughout the entire medical surveillance period (for a returning executive) in Hong Kong.
- The itinerary maintained by the company should also include information about the contact details of the persons who had met or would meet with the exempted executive in Hong Kong.
- Any changes to the itinerary should be submitted to the SFC upon arrival in Hong Kong and at the time when the sponsoring licensed corporation submits the attestation form.
2. Ensure compliance with the guidelines for vehicles providing point-to-point transportation.
3. Ensure that, for exempted persons in self-isolation at an accommodation arranged by the sponsoring licensed corporation, the Department of Health’s infection control guidelines are adhered to.
4. Submit an attestation form signed by a responsible officer or the manager-in-charge of compliance function of the sponsoring licensed corporation, every three working days or at the half-way point of the trip, whichever is earlier, and on the last day of the trip (for a visiting executive) or the medical surveillance period (for a returning executive), to the SFC by email; and
- Report to the SFC as soon as possible if an exempted executive is confirmed or suspected to be infected with COVID-19 during his or her trip in Hong Kong and within 14 days after departing Hong Kong (for a visiting executive) or during the medical surveillance period (for a returning executive).
Interested applicants will have to provide their HKID/passport copy, itinerary, and vaccination record five working days before their trip. If successful, the exempted executives are only allowed to leave their designated quarantine accommodation arranged by their employer for the approved activities set out in the itinerary.
Additionally, they will have to go through pre-departure, on arrival and post-arrival COVID-19 tests, point-to-point transportation, self-isolation and medical surveillance.
Those who breach the self-isolation requirement will be removed immediately and be sent to the quarantine centre for three weeks. They will also be subject to a fine of HK$5,000 and imprisonment for six months.
Photo/ inCUBEE
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