A total of 30 hotels will provide about 8,300 rooms under the third cycle of the Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme, the Government announced today.

The Government issued letters to about 2,000 hotels with valid hotel or guesthouse licences on March 4 to invite applications for enlisting as designated quarantine hotels in the third cycle and 70 hotels submitted applications.

Upon assessment, 30 hotels were shortlisted to provide about 8,300 rooms of various types and rates for selection by people arriving in Hong Kong from places outside China.

Twenty-nine hotels on the list were designated hotels in the second cycle, while one of them is a new participant.

The contract period will run from April 21 to June 19.

The Government pointed out that it will continue to provide more hotels offering lower room rates in the new cycle after considering the market demand for hotels offering different rates.

The number of hotels offering room rates at $500 or below will increase from 11 to 13 to provide more than 2,800 rooms, representing 34% of the total number of rooms in the third cycle.

The number of rooms with rates at $1,000 or below accounts for 84% of the cycle, providing about 7,000 rooms.

To further prevent importation of COVID-19 cases and reduce contact between arrivals from overseas and the local community, the Government fully implemented the Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme and the Designated Transportation Scheme on December 22, 2020.

The scheme requires all travellers arriving from places outside China to undergo compulsory quarantine for 21 days at designated quarantine hotels.