"The case in discussion has been granted permission to travel to Hong Kong with a quarantine exemption for the purpose of performing designated professional work, taking into account that it is conducive to maintaining the necessary operation and development of Hong Kong's economy," the statement read.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the South China Morning Post reports Hong Kong's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau are under "mounting public pressure" to explain to the public why Kidman was given special treatment. The bureau said she is in the country to carry out professional work.
When Kidman flew into Hong Kong on August 12, she was granted an exemption from Hong Kong's current seven-day quarantine for vaccinated individuals. But as the Delta variant cases surge, stricter entry requirements have been introduced from Friday requiring vaccinated people from Australia to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days.
Several have also taken to Twitter to express their frustration over the reports Kidman was able to travel to Hong Kong without quarantining first.
"So we have HK residents who can't come back if not vaccinated (and even then with 2-3 weeks quarantine) but Nicole Kidman can just enter like this? It's disgusting!" a Twitter user shared.
Expats is based on the novel The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee, and follows a group of wealthy women who have moved to Hong Kong.
An article from the Hollywood Reporter adds this is another Covid-19 controversy for Kidman, who was granted an exemption from New South Wales hotel quarantine and was instead allowed to isolate at home when she flew in from the US.
She had returned to Australia ahead of the new Amazon Prime video series Nine Perfect Strangers, which is released this week on the streaming service.
