HKSAR to totally resume cross-border journey with Chinese language mainland: Chief Govt

Photograph: Zhao Yusha/GT

Hong Kong hopes to totally resume cross-border journey with the Chinese language mainland together with scrapping nucleic acid testing, John Lee, Chief Govt of the Hong Kong Particular Administrative Area (HKSAR) authorities, mentioned on Tuesday that the small print shall be quickly unveiled to assist the town utterly return to normalcy.  

Hong Kong additional adjusted its COVID-19 response by ending obligatory quarantine for contaminated folks ranging from Monday, with those that check constructive not required to report. Some native officers and lawmakers have been calling for ending the requirement for nucleic acid testing for cross-border journey and canceling day by day quota of cross-border vacationers provided that each the town and the mainland have been additional optimizing COVID response and normalizing epidemic administration. 

Lee believed that the choice to cancel the nucleic acid testing requirement shall be made inside a really brief time period. The subsequent step of the HKSAR authorities is specializing in additional normalizing epidemic measures together with scrapping nucleic acid testing between Hong Kong and mainland, growing ports to deal with the cross-border vacationers and canceling the day by day quota, he informed a press convention on Tuesday.  

When it comes to the worldwide vacationers, the HKSAR authorities will contemplate canceling the necessities for vaccines and fast antigen exams for worldwide arrivals. Additionally, a authorities group of 30 folks led by Lee will go to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to advertise benefits of Hong Kong tradition and enterprise on Saturday, February 4, based on the press convention. 

In additional optimizing COVID response, some public well being consultants believed that the town will more likely to abolish the common masks mandate in spring or summer season. When requested a couple of choice on whether or not to scrap the masks mandate, Lee mentioned the HKSAR authorities has to make the choice primarily based on danger and knowledge. After ending necessary quarantine, the masks mandate is the one restriction now, he mentioned. 

After the flu peak season within the winter passes, if the epidemic is below management, the HKSAR authorities will contemplate canceling the masks mandate, Lee mentioned. 

With the intention to absolutely resume cross-border journey between Hong Kong and the mainland, Lee mentioned the HKSAR authorities is now carefully coordinating and discussing with related events, all of whom agree on resuming border crossings as quickly as potential in precept. Extra work ought to be accomplished in speaking about particulars. Additionally, after the total resumption of cross-border journey, folks ought to proceed sporting masks. 

After mainland borders reopened from January 8, the day by day quota for Hong Kong vacationers heading to mainland was set at 60,000. 

The three-year epidemic has entered a brand new stage and the HKSAR authorities goals to assist the town absolutely restore normalcy, based on the CE. He informed the press convention that he doesn’t agree with establishing an unbiased investigation committee to probe within the HKSAR authorities’s epidemic measures however agreed on summing up experiences to take care of new dangers. 

By drawing up experiences up to now seven months and developing with sensible options, we imagine that we are going to overcome future challenges, Lee mentioned.