LettersHongkongers want quarantine-free travel to the mainland – that means a mandatory health code

Readers discuss a health code for Hong Kong, criticise media coverage of the Evergrande crisis, despair over national security law scams – and give a shout-out to quarantine hotel service

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People visit the border of Hong Kong on February 13, with the Shenzhen skyline in the background. Photo: AP

Published: 6:00am, 22 Oct 2021

The absence of Mr Tam Yiu-chung at a National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting in Beijing this week has made headlines. As Hong Kong’s sole delegate to China’s top legislative body, he was barred by mainland health authorities from attending the meeting after a single, untraceable case of Covid-19 was found recently in the city.

Tam said that the incident underscores the central government’s seriousness in upholding a zero-Covid approach to fighting the pandemic.

Regardless of other countries that have chosen to “live with the virus”, I believe China will stay the zero-tolerance course.

Nobody is exempt from its strict preventive measures. Thus, as Tam has stressed, if Hong Kong is to reopen its borders with the mainland, a health code with mandatory contact tracing will be necessary.

A Hong Kong government suggestion of a voluntary scheme is unrealistic, as mainland health authorities would see such an arrangement as a loophole that could jeopardise the effectiveness of their pandemic measures. Given that the Delta variant is highly contagious, it makes sense for the Chinese government to take such a stringent approach.

People from all walks of life have told me that the most pressing issue they face is the continuing closure of the mainland border, preventing family reunions and business travel. Quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the mainland must resume. This issue is more important to Hong Kong than the resumption of normal travel to other places.

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Readers discuss a health code for Hong Kong, criticise media coverage of the Evergrande crisis, despair over national security law scams – and give a shout-out to quarantine hotel service

Readers discuss a health code for Hong Kong, criticise media coverage of the Evergrande crisis, despair over national security law scams – and give a shout-out to quarantine hotel service