Australian Hollywood star Nicole Kidman has sparked outrage in Hong Kong, after her government granted her an exemption from quarantine before entering the country.
The move angered Chinese lawmakers, at a time when the city of Hong Kong is tightening restrictions on the entry of international travelers, in order to control the “Corona” virus, according to the “Associated Press” news agency.
Nicole Kidman, 54, who was said to have traveled to Hong Kong last week from the city of Sydney infected with the “Corona” virus, and was spotted in the Chinese city this week, was filming a series for the digital streaming service “Amazon Prime” entitled “Expats”. .
The Hong Kong government said in a statement, Thursday, that it granted the exemption to Nicole Kidman “for the purpose of carrying out a certain professional work.”
She added that Kidman’s work was “conducive to maintaining the necessary operation and development of Hong Kong’s economy.”
“The issue of the exemption from Nicole Kidman is not just about politics, it’s about health security and it’s an issue of injustice,” said Chinese legislator Priscilla Leung.
Leung indicated that she was not exempted from quarantine when a member of her family contracted the emerging “Corona” virus.
Meanwhile, Representative Michael Tian considered the dismissal of Nicole Kidman as a precedent for other celebrities in the future.
“(Even) athletes who have returned from the Tokyo Olympics have been asked to self-quarantine for seven days,” he said.
In contrast, David Pitfield, a teacher from the United Kingdom, said he would not mind that Nicole Kidman be exempted from quarantine because she has been vaccinated, and that her series would bring “good publicity” to Hong Kong.
He said filming the series in Hong Kong would provide jobs for the city.
But Hong Kong authorities stressed that Nicole Kidman is obligated to comply with virus rules within the city, and is also required to provide an itinerary and travel in a private car to avoid contact with the public.
“With this exemption, it doesn’t mean that Nicole Kidman can go anywhere she wants,” Hong Kong Minister of Trade and Economic Development Edward Yao said Friday.
Nicole Kidman’s exemption from quarantine comes as the Hong Kong government has tightened entry requirements for travelers, adding 15 countries including America to the “high risk” category, and requiring vaccinated travelers from medium-risk countries to spend 14 days in quarantine. As of Friday.
Those traveling from medium-risk countries could only undergo a 7-day quarantine at a designated hotel, if they had a valid vaccination record and a positive COVID-19 antibody test.