Nicole Kidman was granted a weeklong quarantine exemption Thursday in Hong Kong after traveling from Sydney, Australia, to film a new Amazon Prime Video series.
The Hong Kong government said it granted the exemption to Kidman “for the purpose of performing designated professional work,” the Associated Press (AP) reported. Some lawmakers in Hong Kong, however, are not happy with the decision.
Hong Kong’s granting of a quarantine exemption to Hollywood star Nicole Kidman is drawing criticism from lawmakers as the city tightens entry restrictions for international travelers to control the coronavirus. https://t.co/troJWTjdSX
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 20, 2021
“Nicole Kidman’s exemption case is not just about politics, it involves the health security issue and is a matter of unfairness,” said lawmaker Priscilla Leung, according to the AP.
Starting Aug. 20, Hong Kong no longer allows non-residents from the U.S. to enter the country, according to the U.S. Consulate General for Hong Kong and Macau. Vaccinated travelers who have stayed in medium-risk places are now subject to a 14-day quarantine in a designated hotel as of Aug. 20.
“With this exemption, it doesn’t mean that she can go anywhere she wants,” Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau said, according to the AP. (RELATED: CDC Says People With COVID-19 Can Break Quarantine To Vote)
Kidman and her husband Keith Urban also avoided the mandatory 14-day quarantine in Australia after arriving in Sydney in July 2020 and instead went directly to their mansion.