Hong Kong government ‘considering’ new measures to further cut cross-border travel, source says, as lawmakers call for quarantine of all locals returning from mainland China

The Hong Kong government is “considering” new measures to further cut cross-border travel with mainland China, such as closing more checkpoints and reducing the opening hours of crossings, according to a source.

“We are discussing legislation that can be invoked to cut cross-border flow of people, particularly to reduce the number of Hongkongers crossing the border,” the government source said.

“There would be bigger risk of cross-infection among travellers if they gather at the few remaining checkpoints in the event of further closures. This is among technical issues to be considered before drawing a conclusion.”

The news emerged on Monday as the city’s largest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) called for all Hongkongers returning from the mainland to be put under home surveillance for two weeks, piling more pressure on the embattled government.

DAB lawmakers also urged authorities to list surgical masks and alcohol gels as reserved commodities, to control sales and prices of such items.

“The government must take decisive and strict measures … because medical experts have warned that the coming two to three weeks will be critical in determining whether a community outbreak will take place in Hong Kong,” party chairwoman Starry Lee Wai-king said.