Hong Kong's latest entry quarantine policy: Hong Kong to implement nucleic acid-free clearance!

National People's Congress Standing Committee member Tam Yiu-chung, after attending the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong's New Year gathering yesterday, quoted Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee as saying, "It may be implemented in the next few days" that nucleic acid testing will no longer be required for border clearance.

Tam Yiu-chung said he hopes that the commonly used border crossings of Lo Wu and Huanggang can reopen as soon as possible and that the quota system be abolished. “The quotas are no longer necessary and can be completely lifted,” he said, because the situation during the Lunar New Year showed that travelers between the mainland and Hong Kong were able to cross the border in an “orderly” manner, and the numbers were not as high as expected.

Chen Guoji, who also attended the event, said that Hong Kong is steadily advancing on the path to normalcy and is working with the mainland to achieve gradual, orderly progress toward eventual full mutual access.(1) Cancel the “test-and-hold” arrangement at ports and airports for travelers departing from Hong Kong to the mainland and Macao. Passengers will be allowed to travel with a negative nucleic acid test result obtained within 48 hours;

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) held a New Year gathering yesterday. Party chairman Starry Lee, Tam Yiu-chung, and officials including John Lee Ka-chiu attended.

On January 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that China has resumed issuing visas for travelers from Japan. A reporter asked whether the Chinese Embassy in Japan announced the resumption of processing ordinary visas for Japanese citizens traveling to China, but the Japanese government has not yet lifted COVID-19 preventive measures for travelers from China.As for the obstacles involved, he said, "As long as the two sides can discuss and agree, it can be implemented, and there are fewer and fewer testing sites on the mainland anyway."

Mao Ning emphasized that China has consistently opposed the politicization of epidemic prevention and control, and believes that restrictive and discriminatory measures against China should be lifted. She expressed willingness to work with all parties to facilitate normal cross-border travel.

He explained bluntly that the initial purpose of implementing the quota system for border clearance was to avoid too many people traveling between Hong Kong and mainland China during the Lunar New Year, which could lead to congestion at ports, excessively long queues, and safety issues. But now “the quota is no longer necessary,” because the previous quotas were not fully used, the number of cross-border travelers was lower than expected, and the clearance process was relatively orderly. Therefore, it can now be “fully opened.”

He pointed out that without quotas and nucleic acid tests, travel between the two places could be "much more convenient"; he believes the nucleic acid testing requirement makes people reluctant to travel between the mainland and Hong Kong, and hopes these restrictions can be lifted as soon as possible.

Tam Yiu-chung mentioned that he hopes Lo Wu and Huanggang border crossings can reopen soon, as these two crossings are most frequently used by Hong Kong people and are the most convenient, allowing both train and car travel.

Regarding rumors that the Luohu Port might reopen next month, Tam Yiu-chung said he hopes so, adding, “It seems just a bit of renovation is left,” and expressed confidence that the reopening of Luohu is “just around the corner.”(2) Adjust the local nucleic acid testing strategy by focusing resources on high-risk venues or groups. The SAR government will reduce the issuance of mandatory testing notices for residential buildings and instead distribute more rapid test kits in the community;During his speech, John Lee Ka-chiu pointed out that Hong Kong is steadily moving forward on the path to normalcy, with pandemic management entering a new phase. Social distancing measures are being relaxed in an orderly manner, including the lifting of quarantine orders, injecting new momentum into the local economy and civil activities. Major events held earlier also demonstrate Hong Kong’s return to the center of the international stage, and the government will gradually and orderly resume work with the mainland, aiming for full mutual travel resumption in the end.

Li Wangchun stated that efforts will continue to be made to promote Hong Kong's integration into the overall national development, and with the recent reopening, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) will visit Macau and other Greater Bay Area cities.

Image

Luohu and Huanggang border checkpoints may reopen soon