Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Coronavirus: 10 who shared Emirates flight to Hong Kong with Covid-19 cases sent to quarantine centre after five days stranded at airport

It was not immediately clear how the group, at the airport for five days now, was able to board the flight from Dubai, as transit services to the mainland are currently barred. As of Wednesday evening, 10 of the 11 stranded passengers had refused an offer to be flown back to their port of origin

Hong Kong health authorities have sent 10 transit passengers – stranded at the airport for the past five days – to a local quarantine centre amid public health concerns, as the group had travelled on the same flight as 26 others previously found to be infected with Covid-19.

Confirming an earlier Post report, a Department of Health spokesman said the group, which had attempted to travel from Dubai to mainland China despite a prohibition on transits to mainland cities, had been sent to an official quarantine facility at Chai Wan Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village.

The latest development came just seven hours after the Post contacted the department with inquiries about the travellers’ status.

The spokesman added the department had only become aware of the situation on Wednesday, but could not say if the travellers would have to undergo a full 14-day isolation.

A government source, meanwhile, said the group would be given Covid-19 tests, adding that poor communication between the health department and Airport Authority led to the delayed response.

The authority earlier confirmed that 11 passengers on Emirates flight 380 had sought to transit to the mainland but did not have boarding passes for their onward flights.

As of Wednesday evening, 10 of the group had refused an offer to be flown back to Dubai.

“The airline has offered to arrange the 11 passengers’ return to their port of origin. [The authority] understands that one of the passengers took an Emirates flight back to Dubai on June 24, while the others have not yet accepted the return arrangement,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.

“It is the responsibility of airlines to understand entry restrictions and quarantine requirements of different destinations to avoid passengers being stranded at HKIA.”

Meanwhile, police said the Airport Authority filed a report on Wednesday after one of the stranded passengers claimed he was wanted on the mainland.

A police spokesman said they received the report at 5.55pm and sent officers to the scene, but no arrest was made as the man was not wanted in Hong Kong and the force had no jurisdiction.

In a statement, Emirates said the group “attempted to transit to mainland China, which is not allowed under current travel restrictions. The respective onward carriers refused to accept the passengers.”

They also confirmed the 10 remaining passengers had been offered tickets on the next scheduled flight back to Dubai. “We will also continue to work closely with the Airport Authority and all relevant parties to resolve the situation,” an airline spokeswoman said.

Emirates later revealed it was temporarily suspending passenger services to Pakistan altogether in light of the large number of passengers who tested positive for Covid-19 in Hong Kong after arriving aboard flight 380.

“We are coordinating closely with the various authorities and will review and implement any required additional measures to satisfy all parties before we resume services from Pakistan. The health and safety of our crew, customers and communities remains our top priority,” the airline said in a statement.

While Hong Kong resumed transit flight services on June 1, the mainland has remained off-limits for transfers. Given that prohibition, it was not immediately known why the stranded passengers were allowed to board the flight in Dubai.

On Monday, the Centre for Health Protection confirmed 26 passengers on the Saturday flight, residents returning from Pakistan, had tested positive for Covid-19, the highest number of imported infections yet to arrive by air.

But Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the centre’s communicable disease branch, has previously said the risk of in-flight transmission of the disease was low.

Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, a respiratory medicine expert from Chinese University, shared that view, saying the passengers would have worn masks and had minimal interactions.

“A plane during the flight would have an excellent ventilation system that can filter air particles 10 to 20 times an hour,” he said.

Hui explained that Hong Kong and the World Health Organisation define “close contacts” on a flight as anyone sitting in the two seats directly in front of or behind the infected persons as well as the two seats directly to the left and right.

But Dr Leung Chi-chiu, chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable diseases, said the situation was “concerning”, as in-flight transmission “could not be ruled out”.

Transmissions could also take place within the airport, especially in such shared facilities as toilets and lounges, if the stranded passengers carried the virus, he said.

Leung suggested the Hong Kong government tighten air traffic rules, allowing only passengers who have received a negative Covid-19 test result before boarding to use the city’s transit services.

“Otherwise, the public health risks of transit services would outweigh the economic benefits they bring,” he said.

Hong Kong reported no locally transmitted coronavirus infections on Wednesday, according to the Centre for Health Protection, extending the city's streak of such days to 11.

Two imported cases were recorded, however, bringing the city’s overall tally to 1,179, with six related deaths. Both new cases had returned from the Philippines.



Separately, a Tuen Mun Hospital spokesman on Wednesday revealed that water had leaked from the bathroom of a paediatric isolation ward housing Covid-19 patients earlier in the week onto the male surgical ward directly below, leading to 18 patients being moved to other rooms.

One male patient who had droplets land on his glasses will be isolated for 14 days and placed under medical surveillance for two weeks after, while another hit on his ankle will undergo medical surveillance for 28 days.

Before HKIA reopened the airport to transit passengers on June 1, the Airport Authority gathered airlines to brief them on the strict rules governing the resumption of transfer service.

“Airlines have the utmost responsibility in ensuring, at the point of check-in at the origin ports, that transit passengers will be accepted at the final destinations,” the authority said in an internal presentation to airlines on May 29.

“It is the responsibility of the airlines to conduct all necessary verification at the origin ports.”

In the first phase, only transit flights operated by the same airline group were allowed to handle transfer passengers – meaning only Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines qualified.

On June 15, rules were eased to allow different airlines to accept transit passengers flying on one ticket, as long as they had been checked through from their departure point with boarding passes issued.

Airlines were also required to ensure travellers met entry requirements for their final destination and the connecting time between flights was less than 24 hours, among other measures.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×