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Hong Kong eases travel rules in apparent shift from zero-Covid policy
Ban on flights from nine countries lifted for fully vaccinated residents and quarantine reduced to seven days
Hong Kong will lift a ban on flights from nine countries and reduce hotel quarantine alongside a “roadmap” towards eased restrictions that suggest a departure from the territory’s zero-Covid policy, its leader has announced.
From 1 April, fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents who have received a negative PCR test will be allowed to enter on flights from the UK, Australia, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and the US. Arrivals have to undergo seven days’ hotel quarantine, down from 14 previously.
The “circuit breaker flight ban” was no longer necessary for those nine countries because the situations there were “no worse” than that in Hong Kong, the chief executive, Carrie Lam, told the media on Monday, acknowledging the anxiety restrictions had caused to Hongkongers stranded overseas.
Hong Kong has maintained some of the world’s strictest border rules, blocking non-residents from entry, enforcing 21-day quarantines, and punitively banning airlines for carrying Covid-positive passengers.
Lam also announced social restrictions on gathering limits, mask-wearing, and business and venue operations would begin easing in three phases from 20 April. Schools will resume face-to-face classes from 19 April, and plans for a controversial mandatory mass testing rollout were suspended, citing advice from mainland experts.
Lam emphasised the roadmap was subject to change, but ruled out anything being relaxed earlier than stated.
“People may be desensitised to Covid positive numbers,” she said. “I would urge the members of the public to be more patient with this timetable and roadmap. As long as the trend is coming down in four weeks’ time we should be able to resume normal life.”
The roadmap echoes those put in place by other countries as they transitioned away from harsh restrictions to living with the virus, often after being overwhelmed by an Omicron outbreak. Hong Kong has been committed to a “dynamic zero” policy of eliminating each outbreak as it occurs, but had begun introducing mitigation strategies as infections and fatalities rose.
On Monday, Lam would not say if her announcement was an admission that Hong Kong would have to live with the virus, telling reporters not to “draw any conclusions”.
Prof Alexandra Martiniuk, an epidemiologist at the University of Sydney, said the new policy setting “does look as though it’s signalling to move away from a Covid- zero or a dynamic-zero aim”.
Prof Martiniuk said no country so far had experienced a large Omicron wave and completely contained it. “Covid-zero becomes extremely difficult to maintain once it’s out of the bag in a large way,” she said.
“Keeping public health protections in place but letting go of the concept of Covid-zero does sound like where Hong Kong is going.”
The government of mainland China – which is also battling its own, smaller Omicron outbreak – has previously said Hong Kong must maintain a Covid-zero policy before it would reopen the border between them. Hong Kong’s government had prioritised reopening to the mainland over the rest of the world, but on Monday, Lam said Hong Kong would always have to take into account “connectivity with the outside world” as well as with the mainland.
Health authorities say the city is past the peak of an Omicron outbreak that infected at least 1 million people, but potentially half the population, overwhelming hospitals. More than 5,000 people have died. The government did not put the city under lockdown, but instead introduced or reintroduced a range of social restrictions, including some that sparked confusion and frustrating, such as the closure of beaches.
The restrictions have put pressure on residents, who are leaving in droves. Net departures have surpassed 54,000 for this month, after 71,000 in February, Reuters reported.
Kenneth Tang, a 24-year old project executive, said he and his friends had grown frustrated and sometimes very distressed under Hong Kong’s restrictions and the devastating outbreak .
“The impact in my personal life is serious, the psychological impact has affected my body. Hongkongers have to find ways to save themselves,” he said.
“I think we should take references from other countries. It’s not possible to have Covid zero now,” he said. “So we should see what the UK, Australia, and Canada do. We can do a similar solution to them. I think it is very important to lift the flight bans, and they should help to maintain our mental health as soon as possible.”
Additional reporting by Chi Hui Lin and Xiaoqian Zhu
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Hong Kong relaxes incoming traveller COVID-19 restrictions, dropping hotel quarantine
Hong Kong's leader has announced the city would no longer require incoming travellers to quarantine in designated hotels as the city seeks to open up globally after nearly two years.
Key points:
- Incoming travellers won't need to do a PCR test within 48 hours before boarding a plane to Hong Kong
- They'll instead have to present a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test conducted within 24 hours before boarding
- John Lee said the measures will come into effect on Monday
Incoming travellers will also no longer need a negative PCR test within 48 hours before boarding a plane to Hong Kong, the city's Chief Executive John Lee said on Friday at a news conference.
Instead, they will need to present a negative COVID-19 result from a rapid antigen test conducted within 24 hours before boarding the flight.
All international arrivals will be able to return home or to accommodation of their choice but will have to self-monitor for three days after entering the Chinese special administrative hub, the government said.
People will be allowed to go to work or school but will not be allowed to enter bars or restaurants for three days.
The measures will come into effect on Monday.
"While we can control the trend of the epidemic, we must allow the maximum room to allow connectivity with the world, so that we can have economic momentum and to reduce inconvenience to arriving travellers," said Mr Lee, who also said that authorities will not roll back the measures announced on Friday.
He said that there must be a "balance between risks and economic growth".
From Monday, travellers into Hong Kong will have to undergo three days of home monitoring. If they test negative for COVID-19 after three days, they will be allowed into venues such as restaurants and bars.
For nearly two years, Hong Kong required overseas arrivals in the city to serve a period of mandatory quarantine in designated hotels.
At one point, the city had among the world's longest quarantine periods at 21 days of mandatory isolation.
The easing of measures comes as Hong Kong prepares to hold several high-profile events, including the Rugby Sevens tournament in November and an international banking summit.
Neighbouring Taiwan is expected to do the same with travel restrictions next month.
This leaves mainland China as one of the only places in the world that will still require travelers to quarantine on arrival.
Hong Kong has for most of the pandemic aligned with China's "zero-COVID" strategy.
Over the past two and a half years, Hong Kong authorities have imposed strict social distancing measures and locked down residential buildings with confirmed COVID-19 infections to mass-test residents.
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Hong Kong is finally opening to non-residents for the first time in two years
Apr 22, 2022 • 3 min read
In May, Hong Kong is allowing non-residents to enter for the first time since March 2020 © Getty Images
Starting May 1, Hong Kong will end its ban on non-residents entering the city as it eases its tough zero-COVID policy.
The government issued a statement on Friday announcing plans to ease restrictions in May as coronavirus cases gradually stabilize.
"Although daily passenger arrivals have increased since April 1 when the government lifted the flight bans from nine overseas regions, the ratio of imported cases has dropped instead of risen," the statement said .
As such, Hong Kong's stringent pandemic measures will be adjusted to allow non-residents to enter the city starting May 1 — essentially the first time they've been allowed to do so since March 2020.
But Hong Kong, whose policies are closely aligned with those of mainland China, isn't abandoning its strict rules like mandatory quarantine just yet.
Hong Kong rules for international arrivals
Under the new entry system, travelers will take a rapid COVID-19 test at the airport, and those who are negative will be sent to a designated hotel to quarantine for seven days.
Prior to departure they must be fully vaccinated with a recognized vaccination certificate and test negative with a PCR test conducted 48 hours in advance. They must also present confirmation that they have reserved and pre-paid for accommodation at their quarantine hotel.
In addition to vaccination records and test results, Hong Kong requires that all arrivals complete a health declaration form . Once the form is completed, passengers will receive a QR code that can be scanned at the airport for entry.
Hong Kong flight suspensions
According to Bloomberg , the penalty that enforces a seven-day route ban on flights that bring in three or more infected passengers, will also be eased. Starting May 1, the suspension will be reduced from seven to five days. And flights will only be suspended if five or more passengers test positive upon arrival, rather than three passengers.
Speaking to the news site, a government spokesperson said it was aware the ban had been "too harsh, leading to suspensions of different routes and easily disrupting the itineraries of people coming back to Hong Kong."
Local media reports that Hong Kong has suspended 23 flights already in April including Cathay Pacific routes from London, Manchester and Sydney; Emirates routes from Dubai and Bangkok; and KLM flights from Amsterdam because three or more people onboard had either tested positive upon arrival or didn't have the necessary health documentation with them.
The flight suspension policy makes planning a trip to Hong Kong difficult as routes can be suspended at short notice. To avoid the risk, airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have stopped flying to Hong Kong until later in the year.
Face masks and restrictions in Hong Kong
Masking up in Hong Kong is a must with face coverings required in outdoor and indoor public settings.
Restaurants reopened this week to allow in-person dining, gyms are open again, and the limit on public gatherings has been increased from two to four people per group.
Vaccine passes are required in most places including supermarkets, shopping malls, and restaurants.
You might also like: Which US airlines have dropped mask mandates after the federal court ruling? Visiting Venice? You'll soon need to pre-book to enter the city The Well-Traveled Path: Returning to international travel with a purpose
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Follow our news, recent searches, visiting hong kong soon here's what you need to know about the revised entry rules, advertisement.
While arrivals no longer face restrictions on moving around - provided they test negative for COVID-19 - there are still several regulations in force.
Passengers arriving at Hong Kong International Airport on Dec 8, 2022. (Photo: AFP/Isaac Lawrence)
Ashley Tham
SINGAPORE: From Wednesday (Dec 14), international passengers arriving in Hong Kong will no longer face COVID-19 movement controls following the axing of a mandatory mobile application.
Travellers were previously issued an "amber code", which meant they could not visit venues like restaurants or bars for their first three days in Hong Kong.
Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau said on Tuesday that "international arrivals don't have any restrictions" after the easing of COVID-19 rules.
"So the same day they step off the aircraft, they are free to enter any premises," he added.
While arrivals no longer face restrictions on moving around - provided they test negative for COVID-19 - there are still several regulations in force.
Inbound travellers to Hong Kong have to be fully vaccinated and undergo a pre-departure Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours before the scheduled time of departure.
After submitting their negative test result and vaccination records via a health and quarantine declaration form, a green health declaration QR code will be generated for visitors for presentation at their airline check-in counter.
Upon arrival, they must take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at the Hong Kong International Airport and on their third day in the city.
The PCR tests can be conducted at community testing centres, mobile specimen collection stations or any recognised local medical testing institution.
Travellers are also required to undertake RAT testing for the first five days of their visit and report the results through Hong Kong's electronic COVID-19 Medical Surveillance System.
Snap Insight: Hong Kong lifts all travel curbs – could this be the test balloon for China’s reopening?
Here's everything new you'll want to experience when you're in Hong Kong
Masks are also still compulsory both indoors and outdoors, unless engaging in exercise or in country parks, while group gatherings are currently capped at 12 people. However, people are able to go to nightclubs and banquets.
For those intending to visit eateries or drinking establishments, Mr Lo said visitors will "need to show a photograph or paper record of their COVID-19 vaccines at some venues which require it".
Hong Kong has followed closely in China's footsteps in enforcing a zero-COVID policy but began scaling down the tight regulations in the last few months.
COVID-19 rules that travellers to Hong Kong must continue to follow:
Inbound travellers to Hong Kong have to be fully vaccinated and undergo a pre-departure RAT test within 24 hours before the scheduled time of departure.
Two PCR tests - one at the airport and one on the third day of their visit.
RAT testing for the first five days of their visit, with results to be submitted online.
Mask-wearing remains largely compulsory both indoors and outdoors.
Group gatherings of more than 12 people in public places are not allowed.
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Travelling to Hong Kong? Here's what you need to know
A guide to help you prepare for your entry into the city
International travellers are free to come to Hong Kong, and there are no more restrictions upon arrival. If you have some enquiries about travelling to the city, we've compiled a guide to help you with everything you need to know when entering Hong Kong, from things to prepare before arriving at Hong Kong International Airport to all the steps you must take as soon as you land.
RECOMMENDED: Keep updated with the latest Covid-19 measures in the city .
An email you’ll actually love
Who can visit Hong Kong now?
Hong Kong has already dropped the vaccination requirement for Hongkongers and international arrivals. Unvaccinated residents and non-residents will be able to enter the city without restriction .
What are the requirements to enter Hong Kong?
With Covid-19 measures now eased in Hong Kong, including arrival restrictions, international travellers looking to explore the city are now free to enter. Of course, if your country requires a visa to visit Hong Kong, please obtain one before your trip .
Negative RAT or RT-PCR test results before boarding are no longer required .
Will they allow entry if my visa is expiring?
If you're not a permanent Hong Kong resident and travelling under a work or tourist visa, ensure your visa has a sufficient validity period, or you will be denied entry.
The Immigration Department (ImmD) provides electronic services for visa application and 'e-Visa' arrangements , allowing applicants to complete the entire process without going to the immigration office in person. Suppose your visa is under renewal and is getting delayed. It is best to send an authorised representative to the ImmD office to fix your reentry as emails and phone calls will take a long time.
Visit this link to see ImmD online services for acquiring Hong Kong visas.
Can arrivals move freely around the city?
Yes, Covid-19 regulations have already eased in Hong Kong. You can freely explore all the incredible things to do in the city . Mask-wearing mandate, the last major rule to fight against Covid-19, has been lifted since March 1.
For more clarity, here's our guide on everything you need to know about Hong Kong's current Covid-19 restrictions.
Do I still need to take Covid-19 tests?
You don't need to present negative Covid-19 results when you arrive at the Hong Kong airport, but the government recommends taking daily RAT until the fifth day of arrival (arrival date count as Day 0). Those who take the test may voluntarily declare the result via the Department of Health's Electronic Covid-19 Monitoring & Surveillance System (eCMSS) .
Ok, so you finally booked your flight, what to do next?
To ensure a smooth and efficient arrival, prepare all your travel documents, including visa for non-Hong Kong residents.
What time should I go to the airport for departure?
Delays, cancellations, and a whole lot of waiting may happen before departure, so make sure to be at the airport at least three hours before your flight. Account for extra time if you encounter any problems with airline check-in.
Arrival at Hong Kong International Airport
Yes, you're finally in Hong Kong, but not just yet. You still have a few more steps to finish before entering. Though the new system significantly cuts the waiting time in the airport, the influx of inbound travellers may affect processing time.
After landing, all inbound persons will pass through temperature checks upon arrival. Those with symptoms will be referred to the Department of Health for further handling. If you're cleared, you can proceed with immigration procedures, baggage collection, and continue taking public transportation to your hotel or home.
What are the options for airport transfers?
Travellers arriving in the city can take public transport to their destination. Those who want a limousine service can contact their hotels for arrangements. One of the fastest ways to travel from the Airport to the city is through Airport Express.
Find more information here .
What if I tested positive for Covid-19?
Hong Kong government no longer issue isolation orders to infected Covid-19 cases since January 30. The government advises symptomatic persons to stay at home to rest and avoid going out. Those who are asymptomatic can go out at will or go to work.
If you belong to high-risk groups and suffer from fever, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, and diarrhoea, the government recommends that you seek medical attention.
For more information, visit this link .
Got more questions?
The government has set up a page for all your questions about inbound travel to Hong Kong . Due to the changing nature of Covid-19 measures, please visit this link to keep updated with the latest travel regulations.
Feel free to roam Hong Kong! These itineraries will give you a dose of inspiration . Looking for hotel accommodations during your trip? Here's a guide to some of our favourite Hong Kong hotels – all tried and tested by our editors. You can also check out the most romantic hotels in the city or schedule a weekend getaway from the best beachside hotels , boutique hotels , or luxury camping spots in town .
You've been gone a while, here's what's new in HK
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Covid-19: Hong Kong drops vaccination requirement for all international arrivals
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Hong Kong has dropped its Covid-19 vaccination requirement for non-residents, meaning that unvaccinated tourists can enter the city again from Monday.
Chief Executive John Lee made the announcement at a press conference on Friday, a day after announcing the government’s “Hello Hong Kong” campaign , aimed at reviving tourism after three years of strict coronavirus rules.
Since the city reopened its borders for non-residents in May, they have been required to meet Hong Kong’s vaccination requirements to enter. Hong Kong barred non-residents from coming in March 2020 due to Covid-19.
International arrivals are still required to obtain a negative result from a Covid rapid test taken within 24 hours of their departure to board a flight to the city.
Travellers to Hong Kong have been subjected to stringent restrictions since the coronavirus emerged in early 2020. At their strictest, arrivals had to undergo three weeks of hotel quarantine at their own expense, in addition to being required to take multiple Covid-19 tests.
The government also imposed a flight ban mechanism, which saw over 100 flights banned because at least five passengers – or five per cent of travellers, whichever was higher – tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival.
The International Air Transport Association, a trade association representing almost 300 of the world’s airlines, said last April that Hong Kong was “effectively off the map” because of its Covid curbs.
‘Back on the centre stage’
However, with most restrictions relaxed, Hong Kong was “back on centre stage,” Lee said at the launch of the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign on Thursday.
“Hong Kong is now seamlessly connected to the mainland of China and the whole international world,” he said. “There will be no isolation, quarantine, and no restrictions on experiencing our great wine and dine scene, on doing business… and on enjoying the hustle and bustle of Asia’s world city.”
As part of the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign, the government will distribute 500,000 plane tickets to visitors, initially targeting the Southeast Asian market. The city’s airlines will hand them out through promotional activities such as lucky draws, buy-one-get-one-free offers and games.
Separately, there will also be a giveaway of 80,000 tickets to residents in the Greater Bay Area to encourage them to the city, as well as 80,000 tickets for Hong Kong residents to travel abroad.
The giveaway to Hong Kong residents, Fred Lam, the Chief Executive Officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong said, was “a way to let Hong Kong people share the same joy that this campaign would bring about.”
Hong Kong has relaxed most of its Covid-19 measures in recent weeks, including scrapping a cap on group gatherings and the need to scan a mobile app before entering restaurants and other premises.
A mask mandate in all public places, including outdoors, is still in place, although authorities said they would consider scrapping it after the winter flu season, which normally runs from January to March or April.
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Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hillary completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Hong Kong. She worked at TIME Magazine in 2019, where she wrote about Asia and overnight US news before turning her focus to the protests that began that summer. At Coconuts Hong Kong, she covered general news and wrote features, including about a Black Lives Matter march that drew controversy amid the local pro-democracy movement and two sisters who were born to a domestic worker and lived undocumented for 30 years in Hong Kong.
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Reporting by Joyce Zhou in Hong Kong, Yew Lun Tian and Josh Arslan in Beijing; Additional reporting by Tony Munroe in Hong Kong; Yingzhi Yang and Eve Wu in Beijing; Writing by Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Editing by William Mallard
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St. Lucia Introduces New Entry Requirement for Visitors
Travelers to the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia will need to complete a new digital form ahead of arrival.
Starting Wednesday, travelers to the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia will need to complete a new digital form ahead of arrival.
The new Electronic Immigration Form, requires travelers to submit their itinerary and contact information within 72 hours of arrival. The form also asks the nature of travel, such as business, convention, wedding, or visiting friends.
Despite the fact that St. Lucia removed all COVID-19 entry restrictions, the new form has several health related questions such as if a traveler has any symptoms or contact with someone who had a communicable disease. The form states that any false declarations will be fined XCD $1,000 (or $370 USD).
The tourism department for St. Lucia shares on its website that they strongly encourage all travelers to submit the digital form within 3 days of arrival, but for those who do not submit in advance, they will be required to complete and submit a paper version on-site at the airport.
“We have been listening to our nationals, visitors, and investors who are seeking seamless travel experiences backed by confidence in the management of the destination’s entry processes," assistant superintendent in charge of the Department of Immigration for the island, Sean Alexander, said in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. " This is a unified approach, ensuring that our commitment to welcoming travelers is of a global standard.”
Travelers only need to submit one form on behalf of an entire family or group, and after submitting the form travelers will receive an emailed receipt with a QR Code to present to local authorities upon arriving, according to the government’s website.
Testing out the form both on a desktop and mobile device, T+L found that the process was very responsive and straightforward. The island's tourism department points out that the form can even be completed upon an arriving flight with in-flight wifi, to help expedite the arrival process for passengers.
Travelers looking to plan a trip to the island may want to consider checking out the upcoming St. Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival in May, or taking advantage of winter travel specials curated by the local tourism board, which include hotel discounts of up to 40% off.
Inbound travel measures adjusted
The Government announced today that starting May 1, non-Hong Kong residents will be allowed to enter Hong Kong from overseas places and the route-specific flight suspension mechanism will be suitably adjusted.
It said the decision was made in view of the latest development of the COVID-19 epidemic situation, taking into account the recent volume of inbound passenger flow, the number of imported cases, the city's capacity in tackling the local epidemic as well as overall socio-economic needs.
The Government's Inter-departmental Steering Committee & Command Centre pointed out that there has been an increase in the daily number of inbound travellers since the lifting of the place-specific flight suspension for nine overseas places on April 1.
The daily average number of arrivals rose from fewer than 300 between January and March to about 1,200 since April.
Nevertheless, the proportion of imported cases has dropped from about 3% in the January-March period to about 1% since April.
Considering public health factors such as the local epidemic development and capacity in tackling it, and balancing the expectation from the public as well as various sectors of the community to resume social and economic activities, the steering committee considers that there is room to suitably adjust inbound control measures on the premise of maintaining the current measures guarding against the importation of cases and manageable risks.
From May 1, non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed in overseas places in the past 14 days will be allowed to enter Hong Kong and be subject to the same boarding, quarantine and testing arrangements as Hong Kong residents.
They must comply with all stringent inbound testing and quarantine requirements, including being fully vaccinated, undergoing a pre-departure nucleic acid test with a negative result and the booking of designated quarantine hotels (DQHs).
Upon arrival, they will be subject to the test-and-hold arrangement at the airport and then transferred to DQHs by designated transport to undergo compulsory quarantine and multiple testings.
Meanwhile, the triggering thresholds for the route-specific flight suspension mechanism will also be adjusted with effect from May.
If there are five or more passengers, or 5% or more of the total number of passengers on board the same flight, whichever is higher, that test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, the airline's passenger flights of that route from the same origin place will be prohibited from landing in Hong Kong for five days.
The five-day landing prohibition will also be applicable to a passenger flight that has three or more passengers on board who test positive for the virus upon arrival and at least one who fails to comply with the requirements specified under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation (Cap 599H).
Additionally, the steering committee considers that the requirement of rapid antigen tests (RATs) can be added to the test-and-hold arrangement at the airport after reviewing the current operation.
Under the additional requirement which is expected to be implemented in early May, inbound travellers will have their specimens collected for RATs when they undergo nucleic acid tests.
The steering committee explained that the move aims to ensure earlier detection of arrivals that have been infected so as to arrange for isolation, while those with a negative RAT result must continue to abide by the closed-loop management and will be transferred by designated transport to DQHs to wait for their nucleic acid test results.
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Scientist claims ‘smoking gun’ evidence covid-19 intentionally created by researchers in chinese lab.
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COVID-19 may have been created in a Chinese lab, a British professor told the UN Wednesday, with another expert claiming that evidence of the likelihood has reached “the level of a smoking gun.”
Richard H. Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University, was quoted saying in a new Wall Street Journal article that the virus that killed millions around the world may actually have been manmade in China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology.
He cited evidence found in a 2018 document from the lab that talked of making such a virus.
“[The document] elevates the evidence provided by the genome sequence from the level of noteworthy to the level of a smoking gun,” Ebright said in the piece by former New York Times editor Nicholas Wade.
The papers from the lab cited by Ebright contained drafts and notes regarding a grant proposal called Project DEFUSE, which sought to test engineering bat coronaviruses in a way that would make them more easily transmissible to humans.
The proposal was ultimately rejected and denied funding by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, but Wade suggested that their work could have been carried out by researchers in Wuhan who had secured Chinese government funding.
“Viruses made according to the DEFUSE protocol could have been available by the time Covid-19 broke out, sometime between August and November 2019,” wrote Wade, a former science editor of the New York Times.
“This would account for the otherwise unexplained timing of the pandemic along with its place of origin.”
Along with the research notes, Wade claimed the specific genetic structure of the coronavirus that allowed it to infect humans served as another strong indication of “the virus’s laboratory birth.”
“Whereas most viruses require repeated tries to switch from an animal host to people, SARS-CoV-2 infected humans out of the box, as if it had been preadapted while growing in the humanized mice called for in the DEFUSE protocol,” Wade wrote.
While scientists continue to debate whether the coronavirus pandemic was a natural occurrence or manmade, Ebright believed there was credibility that the work proposed by the now-controversial EcoHealth Alliance led to the development COVID-19.
Following the release of the 2018 documents — which were published by US Right to Know through a Freedom of Information Act request — Ebright said there was clearer evidence that the virus was manufactured in a lab, the Daily Telegraph reported .
The 2018 documents contained drafts and notes regarding Project DEFUSE and how to synthesize bat coronaviruses to make them more transmissible.
The researchers proposed introducing “appropriate human-specific cleavage sites” to the spike proteins of SARS-related viruses in the lab, the same method several biologists have said could have been used to synthesize the coronavirus that led to the pandemic.
According to the documents, the researchers had planned to conduct a portion of the research at the Wuhan lab where they noted that safety conditions were not up to US standards, to the point where they claimed American scientists would “likely freak out.”
A spokesperson for EcoHealth Alliance said its research played no role in the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Documents representing incomplete or early drafts of the proposal have been acquired via the Freedom of Information Act and published along with allegations regarding their intent. These allegations are false, based on misunderstanding of edits and comments on the document, and based on misleading out-of-context quotations, and a lack of understanding of the process by which federal grants are awarded,” the spokesperson said.
“Because the work was not selected for funding, any assertions about these details are by definition based on review of incomplete information and are extremely misleading.”
While COVID-19’s origins remain a mystery, Dr. Filippa Lentzos, an associate professor of science and international security at King’s College London, said the world needed to acknowledge that the possibility exists that the virus was synthesized.
Speaking before the UN in New York on Wednesday, Lentzos presented the work of the Independent Task Force on Research with Pandemic Risks, which calls on scientists the world over to follow stricter regulations lest another worldwide breakout occur, the Telegraph reported .
“We have to acknowledge the fact that the pandemic could have started from some research-related incident ,” Lentzos said.
“Are we going to find that out? In my view, I think it’s very unlikely that we will. We need to do better in the future,” she added.
“We are going to see more ambiguous events.”
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