HONG KONG (AP) — 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.
Kidman, who reportedly flew to Hong Kong last week from coronavirus-hit Sydney, was exempted from a weeklong quarantine and was spotted in the city this week filming a new Amazon Prime Video series titled "Expats," according to local media reports.
The government said in a statement that it granted the exemption "for the purpose of performing designated professional work."
Some lawmakers say Kidman's exemption sets an unfair precedent.
Lawmaker Priscilla Leung voiced her concern saying that Kidman’s exemption case is "not just about politics, it involves the health security issue and is a matter of unfairness," according to the Associated Press.
Leung added that she wasn't granted exemption from quarantining when a family member was diagnosed with COVID, the AP reported.
Lawmaker Michael Tien pointed out that athletes who returned home from the Olympics were required to quarantine for seven days.
