It is reported that the border between the HKSAR and Chinese mainland is expected to be reopened by February 2022. People may be allowed to travel between both places without quarantine.
The resumption of quarantine-free travel between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is proceeding in an orderly manner, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said last week.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has said she expects quarantine-free travel between the city and mainland to reach such a level by February next year to enable the government to hold major events attended by businesspeople based either side of the border.
She also said that the most pressing matter was for HK's business community to be able to take commercial trips to the mainland without undergoing quarantine.
The remarks were made during a forum held to discuss the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Last week, Beijing confirmed that both sides had reached “significant consensus” over reopening their border.
“Both sides met each other halfway and the full reopening of the border is progressing in an orderly manner,” a spokesman for the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said.
According to SCMP, the first phase would be limited to Guangdong province for HK travelers, with Shenzhen as the only entry point.
The resumption of quarantine-free cross-border travel would be "gradual" according to Lam.
“You cannot enjoy this quarantine-free travel directly to Beijing, or Shanghai. It’s logical because we start with the Greater Bay Area,” she said.
The arrangements would be implemented under a quota system, she added, with priority given to business exchanges.
According to a mainland health official familiar with the negotiations, travelers from HK would have to display a green health code, issued by the city, indicating a low risk of Covid-19 infection.
“Travelers from Hong Kong could go to other cities in Guangdong province after arriving in Shenzhen if they have valid health codes and meet other requirements, which are being finalized,” the insider said. “If the HK government manages a smooth roll-out of the system, we might see the first trial of such an arrangement in mid-December.”
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SOURCE | SCMP / China Daily
