Nicole Kidman has reportedly been exempted from hotel quarantine after flying from Australia to Hong Kong, as the city's government confirms film crew members have been allowed to skip border measures for "professional work".
The Hong Kong government did not directly identify the 54-year old Australian star but said it had granted foreign film personnel permission to skip quarantine for "the purpose of performing designated professional work".
The South China Morning Post reported Kidman had flown to Hong Kong on a private jet from Sydney.
The exemption contrasts sharply with entry rules for residents that are some of the most stringent coronavirus requirements globally, sparking online criticism from residents in the special administrative region of China.
Many travellers to Hong Kong have to do up to 21 days of mandatory hotel quarantine, even those who are vaccinated.
Similar to measures in Australia, they have led to many residents not being able to visit relatives and travel overseas for nearly two years.
Kidman was in the Asian financial hub to film Amazon television series The Expats, online news site HK01 reported.
Hong Kong is tightening its quarantine measures
Hong Kong has had very low levels of COVID-19 infection for months, with a seven-day rolling average of case numbers below 10 since April.
It contrasts with Australia, and particularly Sydney, which this week recorded some of the highest case numbers of the entire pandemic.
Overnight, Hong Kong's government upgraded 15 overseas places including the United States, Spain and France to "high risk", meaning only vaccinated people from those countries would be allowed to enter.
Australia has been reclassified to "medium risk", which means vaccinated arrivals need to quarantine for 14 nights
The measures have sparked chaos for travellers who are desperately trying to rebook hotel quarantine and flights with limited supply available.
Reuters/ABC
