New arrivals still barred from some Hong Kong venues in backtrack on vaccine pass

Cinema-goers and visitors to public skating rinks must still undergo Covid-19 vaccine pass checks, Hong Kong authorities have said in a last-minute backtrack on eased pandemic curbs that implies such venues remain off-limits to newly arrived travellers.

In a statement issued late on Wednesday night, health authorities said staff members at all public skating rinks and cinemas should continue to check patrons’ vaccination records.

The move was tightened from an announcement last week suggesting vaccine pass checks would not be mandatory in ice-skating rinks where patrons were required to wear masks and at cinemas where eating and drinking were still prohibited.

Authorities earlier came under criticism that such criteria would confuse visitors and venue operators.

The vaccine pass checks centre on the government’s risk-exposure “Leave Home Safe” app, which displays colour codes according to users’ inoculation status. A blue code, signalling a vaccinated individual, grants access to all premises, while a yellow one, issued to overseas arrivals during their first three days in the city, bars entry to “mask-off” places such as bars and restaurants.

Authorities earlier indicated that those with an amber code, including inbound travellers serving the three-day medical surveillance period under the “0+3” model, will be allowed to enter venues that do not require vaccine pass checks. Cinemas and skating rinks that require mask-wearing at all times were initially included under this category.