A total of 37 hotels will provide about 10,000 rooms under the fifth cycle of the Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme, the Government announced today.

It issued letters to about 2,000 hotels and guesthouses with valid licences on July 16 to invite applications for enlisting as designated quarantine hotels in the fifth cycle and received 44 applications.

Upon assessment, 37 hotels, including 33 in the fourth cycle, were shortlisted to provide about 10,000 rooms of various types and rates for selection by people arriving in Hong Kong from places other than the Mainland and Macau.

The contract period is from September 1 to November 30.

The Government said more hotel rooms will be provided in the new cycle due to the strong demand for rooms under the fourth cycle.

Additionally, one more hotel has been added to the fourth cycle which will end on August 31, bringing the number of designated quarantine hotels in that cycle to 35.

The first and second cycles of the scheme each involving 36 hotels ended on February 19 and April 20. There were 30 hotels in the third cycle ended on June 19.