London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

No new cases in Hong Kong as city’s leader reveals plans to relax cross-border travel restrictions

No new cases in Hong Kong as city’s leader reveals plans to relax cross-border travel restrictions

Chief Executive Carrie Lam says government in discussions to lift restrictions on travel to Guangdong province and Macau. But family visits and tourists are unlikely to be included initially, according to government sources

An agreement to relax cross-border quarantine measures between Hong Kong, Guangdong province and Macau could be reached within weeks, the city’s leader says, but family visits and tourists are unlikely to be included initially, according to government sources.

The plan to further ease coronavirus-related restrictions was revealed on Monday as Hong Kong recorded no new Covid-19 cases, marking the 22nd day in a row of zero locally transmitted infections.

It was also the 14th time that no new cases were recorded over the same period. The city’s tally of confirmed infections remained at 1,047.

In an interview published in pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao on Monday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the Hong Kong government was in talks with authorities in neighbouring Guangdong and Macau about drafting a plan to allow residents of the three places to be exempted from 14-day quarantine when travelling across the borders. She hoped a consensus could be reached this month.



She said the initial criteria for exemptions would be that people had specific reasons to travel and had taken a virus test to prove they were not infected.

A Hong Kong government source said the administration was exploring the possibility of gradually relaxing cross-border quarantine restrictions when the mandatory requirement for people arriving from mainland China, Macau and Taiwan expired on June 7.

“However, we may extend the restrictions if we fail to work out with mainland authorities and Macau how to synchronise quarantine measures,” the source said.

The source added that a step-by-step approach would be used to relax measures as both the Hong Kong government and mainland authorities preferred not to have a significant surge in the cross-border flow of people soon after restrictions were eased.

“Quarantine restrictions will not be eased for visits to families and relatives, as well as tourists in the initial phases of relaxation of quarantine measures for incoming travellers,” the source said.

Since February 8, Hong Kong has required people arriving from the mainland to undergo self-quarantine for 14 days. The requirement was extended to those arriving from Macau and Taiwan on March 25.

Guangdong began a similar restriction on those arriving from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan on March 27.

Hong Kong has already granted quarantine exemptions to some groups, such as cross-border students and people who travel for business or provide professional services, but the mainland authorities have not yet made any exemptions.

Another government source said authorities on both sides of the border were discussing how to recognise each other’s quarantine arrangements and virus test results.

“For example, if a person has already undergone 14 days of quarantine on the mainland, will [Hong Kong] recognise it?” the source said.

Pro-establishment lawmaker Wong Kwok-kin, from the Federation of Trade Unions, said from his understanding the mainland had more reservations about opening up its entry requirements.

“They are worried about imported cases, as Hong Kong still has people coming from overseas. Even though we have quarantine arrangements in place, the mainland has concerns that cases may be missed,” Wong said.

The Covid-19 situation in Guangdong has eased, with only one locally diagnosed infection and one imported case reported since April 27, according to figures from the province’s health commission. The province so far has recorded more than 1,500 confirmed cases.

Macau, which has not seen an imported case for 33 straight days, also began quarantine exemptions on Monday for citizens from neighbouring Zhuhai who work in the city.

Hong Kong’s health department said on Monday it was investigating the case of a 70-year-old woman who tested positive for the coronavirus in Britain and arrived in the city on Sunday.

It added that people who were stranded in areas of “unknown epidemic situation”, such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and South Africa, would be required to stay in the government’s quarantine centres upon arrival. A source said those areas would be countries that had relatively lower testing rates, meaning the actual infection situation could not be reflected.

Starting from Tuesday, Covid-19 screening in Hong Kong would be conducted on a random sample of patients from care homes and those admitted to psychiatric wards, as an effort to “help mitigate the risk of community outbreak at an early stage”. All hospital patients with influenza symptoms, such as fever, cough or sore throat, would also be screened for the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for North District Hospital in Sheung Shui said on Monday night that there were two malfunctions last week in the negative-pressure system of the isolation ward where two Covid-19 patients were being treated.

Negative pressure prevents contaminated air from escaping the ward.

On Friday a faulty fan was replaced after triggered the system alarm. The alarm went off again on Sunday when a damper of the exhaust system malfunctioned. Emergency maintenance was carried out and the system was running normally after 10 minutes.

During both incidents, all doors of cubicles and rooms in the ward were kept closed, the spokesman said. Neither patient left their rooms and the infection risk was assessed to be very low, he said.

Separately, Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit Wing-hang said he was aware of public concerns that the copper incorporated in the free reusable masks the government was giving Hongkongers could be washed off and inhaled.

He was seeking further confirmation from the masks’ raw material suppliers.

“But from the information that we have at present, this should not happen,” Sit said, adding that the masks had been tested to ensure they were up to standard.

As of 7pm on Monday, 2.91 million Hong Kong residents had signed up for the masks.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×