Professor David Hui suggests city look into Macau’s system with mainland, where quarantine-free travel is stopped if one infection is found in communityOthers say city can adopt relaxed system given higher flow of international visitors and suspend travel only where there are signs of community transmission
Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
Elizabeth Cheungand Kathleen Magramo
Published: 10:24pm, 11 Oct, 2021Why you can trust SCMP7813
A traveller at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Discussions on how to resume quarantine-free travel have increased in recent weeks. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong may need to follow in Macau’s footsteps and set up a suspension mechanism for quarantine-free travel with mainland China when the border fully reopens, a government pandemic adviser has said, meaning just one local Covid-19 case could trigger the measure.
But some other health experts said Hong Kong could adopt a more relaxed rule given its higher flow of international travellers, and suspend quarantine-free arrangements only when there were signs of community transmission.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Sunday said Hong Kong and the mainland authorities would need to agree during talks on fully reopening the border on specific circumstances that would trigger a suspension.
Discussions on how to resume quarantine-free travel have increased in recent weeks, with officials and experts from the mainland and Hong Kong meeting in Shenzhen late last month.
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Hong Kong should follow Singapore’s lead and drop ‘zero case’ approach to Covid-19
Hong Kong should follow Singapore’s lead and drop ‘zero case’ approach to Covid-19
Hong Kong authorities confirmed seven more Covid-19 cases, all imported, on Monday. They included a foreign domestic helper from the Philippines and a seafarer from Montenegro, bringing the tally of infections to 12,268, with 213 related deaths.
Although the case of a 48-year-old airport porter on Friday ended the city’s 51-day streak of zero local infections, Lam assured the public it had not affected overall negotiations with the central government on fully reopening the border.Advertisement
Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, who advises the government on its pandemic response, on Monday said Hong Kong could take reference from the mechanism between Macau and the mainland.
Hong Kong airport worker infected with Covid-19 variant from unknown source
“[Quarantine-free travel] will need to be stopped if there is one case in the community,” Hui said. “There may be more than one infection after finding the first case.”EVERY SATURDAYHong Kong Update NewsletterSIGN UP NOWBy registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy
He said the city had generally been doing well in keeping local cases at bay in past months.
“We need to reassure the mainland, which said we cannot raise its Covid-19 risks,” added Hui, who attended the Shenzhen meeting.
Dr Joseph Tsang says Hong Kong should have its own mechanism, given it has more international travellers than Macau and greater flow of people with the mainland. Photo: Bloomberg
Infectious disease specialist Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan agreed Hong Kong could look at Macau’s mechanism, although a looser system would be more feasible.