Hong Kong will cut the hotel quarantine period for visitors from seven days to three later this week.

The change will be effective from Friday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced.

After spending three days in a designated quarantine hotel, visitors will have to have to self-monitor for four more days, during which time they’ll not be able to visit premises such as restaurants, bars and other places where a COVID pass is required.

People in quarantine will be issued a red code on a government mandated app, which will change to a yellow code once they leave quarantine.

If they test negative daily during the four-day period, they can take public transport, go to work and enter shopping centres or public markets.