Hong Kong third wave: Covid-19 travel bubbles may require flights to forgo transit passengers, commerce minister says

Edward Yau stresses caution necessary in talks with potential travel partners, including need for testing at both ends of journey

The commerce minister also addresses ongoing row over ‘Made-in-China’ label, asking what message US is sending by ‘not following the rules’

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Eliminating transit passengers on some flights may be necessary to create travel bubbles, commerce secretary Edward Yau says. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 5:32pm, 20 Sep 2020Updated: 1:02pm, 20 Oct 2020

Transit passengers may not be allowed on some flights between Hong Kong and its future travel bubble partners in order to ensure everyone on board is coronavirus-free, the city’s commerce minister has said.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah also noted, in a Sunday interview with local broadcaster TVB, that Hong Kong residents travelling to some destinations, particularly larger countries, could face restrictions on their movements given how the Covid-19 situation differed among regions.

Yau additionally took aim at the ongoing row over the “Made-in-China” label with the United States, as the city’s secretaries for administration, finance and labour used their official blogs to offer their own takes on how Hong Kong can tackle issues ranging from unemployment and a swelling budget deficit to the overall economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Sunday, Hong Kong had recorded 5,032 coronavirus infections, with 103 related deaths.

Hong Kong has been in talks with 11 countries about potential travel bubbles, though no timelines have yet been established. Photo: Winson Wong

Earlier this month, the government announced it had been in talks with 11 destinations, including Japan and Thailand, to form travel bubbles, potentially throwing a lifeline to the struggling tourism industry but also raising concerns about the potential impact on public health.