Biz News Flash

Hong Kong lowers travel alert for Japan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-10 17:40

HONG KONG -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government Friday adjusted the Black Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) to Red for four prefectures in Japan and removed the Amber OTA for the rest of the country.

The four prefectures involved are Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki and Iwate.

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A government spokesman said under the Red OTA, Hong Kong residents who intend to visit Japan should avoid non-essential travel to the four prefectures. In particular, they should avoid all travel within 80 kilometers of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility.

The government also removed the Amber OTA for the Maldives on Friday.

Residents may obtain the latest OTA information from the Security Bureau's OTA website, and for those who need assistance while outside Hong Kong may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department at (852)1868.

The Hong Kong government established the OTA system to help its citizens better understand matters about personal safety when traveling to some 80 popular destinations.

Its color indicates the level of possible security threats, with amber being the lowest, red being the medium and black the highest, under which citizens should avoid all travels to the destination.