Hong Kong says Japan has relaxed Covid-19 flight restrictions

HONG KONG - Hong Kong’s government said on Wednesday that Japan has relaxed its six-day-old Covid-19 restrictions that had limited flights from the financial hub to only a handful of destinations in Japan.

Planes from Hong Kong would be able to land at all airports in Japan,

not just four under the curbs,

the government said. There was no immediate confirmation from Japan.

Hong Kong’s government said last week that Japan’s restrictions would affect about 60,000 passengers. Many Hong Kong residents had planned trips to Japan ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday which begins on Jan 21.

Hong Kong’s government said it welcomed the relaxations, but urged Japan to remove all remaining restrictions targeting flights from the Chinese special administrative region.

“After the implementation of the relaxation measures, the Japanese authorities will still restrict the extent of the increase in the frequency of passenger flights departing from Hong Kong,” the government said.

Japan is one of an increasing number of countries

imposing restrictions on travellers from China

after Beijing’s decision to lift stringent zero-Covid policies in December. REUTERS