Chartered flight to take Hong Kong residents out of Peru

A chartered flight arranged by China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government for Hong Kong residents stranded in Peru is expected to depart from Lima on Friday local time, the HKSAR government said.

The chartered flight is scheduled to depart from Lima, capital of Peru, to London, Britain at around 4 p.m. local time on Friday. Upon arrival in London, the Hong Kong residents concerned will take an ordinary connecting flight with secured flight bookings back to Hong Kong. The cost will be borne by the users.

The HKSAR government earlier appealed to the Hong Kong residents stranded in Peru who wish to take the chartered flight to contact the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department (ImmD) by 1 p.m. on Wednesday Hong Kong time.

Up till this point, the ImmD has received a total of 98 assistance requests from Hong Kong residents stranded in Peru, among whom 13 have left there already through other arrangements, according to a spokesman of the HKSAR government.

At present, 65 people have indicated that they would take the chartered flight arranged by the HKSAR government to depart from Lima to Hong Kong via London while the rest who are still in Peru will not take the chartered flight on personal preference or because they are subject to quarantine, said the spokesman.

Currently at least four Hong Kong residents are required to stay in Peru for quarantine and undergo COVID-19 testing, said the spokesman, adding that the HKSAR government will continue to follow up with the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR and the Chinese Embassy in Peru to provide practicable and appropriate assistance to the affected Hong Kong residents.