Editorial | Hong Kong-mainland border reopening will be major test for Lee
- Conditions relating to such a move are worth revisiting, particularly with the increase in vaccinations on both sides, and the use of contact tracing and risk exposure alerts
Just days ago, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was still saying she would “not give a single inch” to requests from consulates and business chambers to ease travel restrictions.
But on Sunday, the outgoing leader said she would be worried if the city was still adhering to the existing border controls by the end of the year.
The public may be excused for being confused as the world strives to put the coronavirus pandemic behind it and open up.
Lam’s remarks underline the challenges in reopening the border with the mainland and beyond. However strong the demand for more travel convenience, it all depends on whether the pandemic can be curbed.
The government was so close to striking a deal with the mainland last year thanks to a long period of zero infections, but then along came the fifth wave of the coronavirus earlier this year.
The Post is one of among many voices calling for fewer travel restrictions, in particular the mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals.