image source,Reuters
After three years of continuous lockdown, China has basically lifted previous restrictions on entry and epidemic prevention.
On Thursday, January 5, the governments of mainland China and Hong Kong announced the first phase of customs clearance agreements: the two places’ seven ports will all resume operations on January 8, with 60,000 people each able to cross the border in a single day.
As of Sunday (January 8), 50,000 residents of each of the two localities can make an appointment to enter the other side’s territory through their respective official online systems. When crossing the border, they must have a negative nucleic acid test certificate within 48 hours.
China’s State Council Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism also announced on Thursday that it would resume visas for mainland residents to travel to Hong Kong for tourism and business.
The four ports of Hong Kong Airport, Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal, China-Hong Kong Ferry Terminal and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will also be fully open: through ticket check, around 10,000 people can pass through these ports every day.
There will be no limit on the number of Mainland Hong Kong people going south and back to Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Mainlanders going north, and no appointment is required.
This is the first time since the global pandemic of the new corona outbreak that the two places have resumed large-scale customs clearance without quarantine. Hong Kong officials said this was a “big step” for the “gradual, orderly and comprehensive “restoration of normal customs clearance between the two locations.
“We are pretty close to 100% (back to normal),” Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao told media on Sunday.
Traffic and quarantine
From Sunday, Hong Kong air services will resume regular flights, and the Jinba cross-border service of the two ocean terminals and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge will also be enhanced – the four ports included in this aspect will use the ticketing mechanism to control the number of people crossing the border: it is estimated that there are around 10,000 people in one direction every day.
The three inland ports between Hong Kong and the mainland – Shenzhen Bay, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and Man Kam To – will also fully resume border inspection services on Sunday, with a one-way limit of 50,000 people per day.
Hong Kong residents can make reservations for entry seats for the next 8 weeks through the online system starting Thursday.
The Hong Kong government also said that the high-speed railway between China and Hong Kong will resume operations by January 15.
Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Chen Guoji said at a press conference on Thursday, “In order to reduce the risk of cross-infection of the epidemic, both Hong Kong people entering the mainland from Hong Kong and mainlanders entering Hong Kong from the mainland must travel 48 hours before travel Nucleic acid test, the result is negative to enter the country.
After entering the other party’s territory, those with negative test certificates and health declarations who are asymptomatic will no longer need to be isolated or quarantined.
From January 8, Mainland China will no longer carry out nucleic acid tests for all personnel entering Hong Kong.
image source,Reuters
The number of new corona infections in China has increased significantly, but there is no accurate diagnosis and reference death data.
Those who have abnormal health declarations or have symptoms such as fever will be tested by customs for antigens. If they test positive and do not have serious underlying diseases or mild cases, they can take home, home isolation or self-care. negative and have been placed in quarantine are deemed not in need of follow-up people can be placed in the community.
Chen Guoji also said that Hong Kong will closely contact the relevant departments in the mainland to review the implementation of the first stage of customs clearance, so as to determine the arrangements for the next stage.
Drugs and medicine
Lu Chongmao, director of the Hong Kong Medical and Health Bureau, said Hong Kong’s current wave of new corona epidemics “has passed its peak”, but Hong Kong will still take “relaxed but still” epidemic prevention measures. don’t give up”.
One of the issues that has attracted attention after the customs clearance between the two places is whether the pharmaceutical and medical system will be under pressure. Lu Chongmao said that pharmacies in some areas may experience shortages of some antipyretic drugs, but the supply of others paracetamol the drug is stable, and it is not excluded that legislation to limit purchases will be imposed.
He said that the storage capacity of paracetamol drugs in Hong Kong’s public medical system has been increased to 5-6 months of daily use, which is enough to care for patients in the public system.
Lu Chongmao said, “On the other hand, if it is necessary to not queue, the sale and purchase will be highly regulated, and legislation may be enacted if necessary.”
He also said that self-funded vaccine services sold by private institutions would not affect vaccines in Hong Kong’s public medical plan, stressing that mainland residents who come to Hong Kong for a short period of time cannot receive public vaccines from Hong Kong’s government. Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao said Hong Kong was currently very close to being fully open to overseas countries and was “confident” that Hong Kong would get back to normal as soon as possible.
However, after China relaxed its new corona epidemic prevention policy last month, the number of infections has increased significantly, which has aroused concern from the outside world. Many European and American countries have implemented quarantine measures for tourists from China.
Li Jiachao said on Thursday that the vaccination rate in Hong Kong is relatively high, and the number of people who have been infected with the new crown has exceeded 2 million. After customs clearance, the 48-hour nucleic acid test is the measure of key check to ensure that mainlanders who have been infected do not enter the country.
“After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong people know how to protect themselves,” Lee said.
He said that after customs clearance, Hong Kong will be “one step away” from full return to normal.
