Mainland support for "reverse quarantine" travel from HK to Guangdong

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said Chinese officials have expressed support for a "reverse quarantine" scheme enabling residents to quarantine in the city before travelling across the border to Guangdong province.

Lee said at a Thursday news briefing that a special task force would be formed and led by Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki to work out the logistics for the scheme.

Currently, those crossing Hong Kong's border into China must quarantine in a hotel for seven days, followed by three days of home surveillance.

The preliminary plan is to make use of the isolation facilities at Lok Ma Chau Loop for Hongkongers to observe seven days of reverse quarantine before going to the mainland, he added.

The Loop facilities have over 10,000 beds in 4,500 rooms of different types.

The goal was "to ensure that we will have a system to allow a regular flow of people from Hong Kong into Shenzhen", Lee said.

Lee had planned to travel to Guangdong this week for in-person talks, but Covid-19 surges on both sides of the border led the meetings to be held virtually.

Hong Kong has closed its border with the mainland and the rest of the world for more than 2-1/2 years, in line with China's zero-COVID policy of stamping out outbreaks as they arise with tough restrictions.

The city of 7.3 million people is highly reliant on international business and travel, and the restrictions have
damaged its economy and led to the exodus of tens of thousands of residents.

MOCTEN

 

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