GGRAsia – HK inches to travel norms, no-quarantine arriving via Macau

HK inches to travel norms, no-quarantine arriving via Macau

Sep 08, 2021 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck

Macau retains for now its 14-day quarantine for those permitted to enter Macau via Hong Kong, although the latter metropolis on Tuesday said it would from September 15 exempt quarantine on a limited-quota basis in the other direction, for Macau ID holders and Guangdong residents eligible to enter Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong government’s Tuesday statement said from September 15 an arrangement – dubbed “Come2hk” – would allow “non-Hong Kong residents” originating from either Guangdong province or Macau, to go to Hong Kong without compulsory quarantine-on-arrival.

Other conditions would apply, according to an address Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, made to the media on Tuesday morning. They were likely to include: the need to show a test certificate proving the traveller was ‘negative’ for Covid-19 infection; and a need to undergo further testing during the person’s stay in Hong Kong.

The Come2hk scheme will have a daily quota of 1,000 travellers via Shenzhen Bay Port in Guangdong, and another 1,000 via the Hong Kong border crossing of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

Hong Kong had for 21 days managed to have “zero” Covid-19 infections classified as “local”, said Ms Lam in her Tuesday address.

On Wednesday, Ms Lam told that city’s Legislative Council it was impossible for Hong Kong to adopt a “co-existing with Covid” strategy, because it would risk efforts to reach normalisation of travel ties with mainland China.

Hong Kong did resume on Wednesday a “Return2hk” scheme that allows Hong Kong residents working in either mainland China or Macau, to travel inbound to Hong Kong, quarantine-free. That system would apply to travel via Shenzhen Bay Port, the Hong Kong boundary of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, and Hong Kong International Airport.

GGRAsia approached the Macau Government Spokesperson’s Office, after Hong Kong’s Tuesday announcement, asking whether Macau might offer travellers via Hong Kong, easier conditions for inbound journeys to Macau. GGRAsia had not received a reply by the time this story went online.

Macau’s health authorities have mentioned previously to local media that the Macau government would consult the mainland China authorities before making any changes to travel restrictions inbound to Macau from Hong Kong. This was on the basis that Macau’s travel rules had been aligned with those of mainland China, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.