Nicole Kidman Granted Quarantine Exemption in Hong Kong for Amazon TV Series, Sparking Backlash

A quarantine exemption granted to Nicole Kidman by the Hong Kong government is drawing criticism online.

According to Reuters and various local news outlets, the actress traveled to the city last week for an upcoming Amazon TV series, The Expats, but was not subject to the strict quarantine procedures in place.

Hong Kong has some of the strictest COVID-19 quarantine protocols in the world, with many travelers required to complete up to 21 days of mandated quarantine in a designated hotel, regardless of vaccination status. The region is set to impose even tighter restrictions beginning Thursday at midnight, as the Delta variant of the virus continues to spread globally, according to Bloomberg.

In a statement provided to the Hong Kong Free Press, government officials did not identify the 54-year-old actress by name but confirmed that "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."

PEOPLE has reached out to Amazon and Kidman's rep for comment.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Nine Perfect Strangers star is in the city for an Amazon TV project announced in 2018. The Expats, helmed by Lulu Wang and based on Janice Y.K. Lee's book The Expatriates, centers on a group of wealthy women living in Hong Kong. Kidman is an executive producer on the show via her production company Blossom Films. It has not been confirmed if she will also star.

The high-profile quarantine exemption has sparked outrage among some on social media. One Twitter user with Hong Kong listed as their location posted, "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!"

"Dear #HongKong friends and family, while you are locked into a hotel room for three weeks, how does it feel to know that if you are from Hollywood, you are exempt from the barbaric quarantine rules HK residents are subjected to?" another added.