The Hong Kong SAR Government responded to the mainland’s cancellation of centralized quarantine at entry and nucleic acid testing of all employees on January 8, 2023. It said that with the support and care of the central government, the long-awaited customs clearance of Hong Kong citizens will soon be realized. Some Hong Kong citizens are looking forward to returning to the mainland to visit relatives or travel. Some members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council believe that Hong Kong and the mainland should give priority to reopening cross-border transportation that can control the flow of people. As for the mainland, which will no longer impose quarantine on people diagnosed with the new coronavirus, the members believe that Hong Kong currently does not have the conditions to follow suit.
Hong Kong Government: Develop a customs clearance plan as soon as possible
A spokesman for the SAR government said that it is making every effort to promote gradual, orderly and comprehensive customs clearance between Hong Kong and the mainland.
The Customs Clearance Coordination Group, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong, is racing against time and advancing preparations for customs clearance in a dual-track manner. On the one hand, it is formulating a sound customs clearance plan as soon as possible, taking into account changes in the epidemic situation and risk management in both places, including the latest relevant announcements from the National Health Commission On the other hand, we will maintain contact with relevant units of the central government, Guangdong Province and Shenzhen City. After reaching a consensus on the customs clearance plan, it will be submitted to the central government for approval. strives to implement it before mid-January next year, so that various cross-border exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland can gradually and orderly regain normal momentum.
Hong Kong citizens are looking forward to returning to the mainland to visit relatives and travel without quarantine.
The mainland will cancel nucleic acid testing and centralized quarantine for all employees upon entry from January 8 next year.
Hong Kong citizen Mr. Liu:
"Some people want to go to the mainland to do business, and some people have family members in the mainland. We also want to go. After blocked , it was troublesome and affected us, so we didn't go."
Hong Kong citizen Ms. Li:
"It's all good. My family can be reunited, it's easier to work, and some people who have bought a house can also go to repossess the property."
Hong Kong MP: Traffic that can control the flow of people should be restored in the early stage of customs clearance, and slowly relaxing it is the ideal state
Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, DAB Health Affairs Spokesperson Liang Xi said that after the mainland relaxes entry prevention and control measures from January 8 next year, a large number of Hong Kong citizens want to return to the mainland. It is expected that in the early stage of normal customs clearance, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will set an upper limit on the number of people, such as about 10,000 or 20,000 people per day. He believes that this will allow people in industry and commerce, going to funerals, and those who need to go to school to get priority, and the authorities should gradually open more ports.
Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and Spokesperson for Health Affairs of the DAB Liang Xi:
"I think ports with controllable flow and adjustable tightness should be used as the priority for customs clearance. The most ideal is high-speed rail, but there are restrictions on frequency. Currently, buses have frequency restrictions. It would be ideal to gradually relax them."
Starting from January 8 next year, the mainland will no longer implement isolation measures for people infected with the new coronavirus, and will no longer identify close contacts. Can Hong Kong follow suit? Liang Xi believes that it is not the time yet.
Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council and spokesman for health affairs of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong Liang Xi:
"Many times they are voluntarily and need to be quarantined because the elderly have not been diagnosed and want to leave immediately after they have been diagnosed, so that the elderly can continue to live in a clean environment. If our vaccination rate for the elderly and young reaches The ideal level is to exceed 90%, but it is far away from this goal now.”
Hong Kong medical and health legislator Lam Che-hsuan said in a radio program that the Hong Kong authorities should continue to implement compulsory nucleic acid testing for mainland people coming to Hong Kong.
Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong’s medical and health sector Lin Zhexuan:
"In the future, I believe it will be helpful to have a test when entering the country, because when patients first get the disease, they may not immediately find out that they are positive for and when they take the test for the first time. So when they come to Hong Kong, they do a test when they enter, plus the test done 48 hours ago, it is quite safe."
Lin Zhexuan believes that it is a good thing to have vaccination requirements for people coming from the mainland. Having received two doses of vaccine should be the minimum requirement.
Source: Phoenix TV Xian Zhi Hong Kong report
Editor: Yuan Shan
