Coronavirus: Hong Kong in travel bubble talks with Macau but obstacles exist, Carrie Lam says

Lam reveals officials have been exploring with Macau ‘any mechanism to bring travelling convenience’ after coronavirus crisis cut flow of people between the neighbouring cities

‘Biggest obstacle’ revolves around preventing Hongkongers bypassing quarantine rules and crossing into mainland China once in Macau, city leader says

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Macau’s most recent Covid-19 case was an imported infection detected on April 7. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 5:11pm, 28 Apr 2021Updated: 7:56pm, 28 Apr 2021

Hong Kong has been holding talks with Macau on forming a travel bubble between the two cities but there are obstacles to overcome, according to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

Lam said the main challenge was how to prevent Hongkongers dodging Covid-19 rules by crossing into mainland China once they were in Macau, which has already resumed quarantine-free travel in both directions with other cities in the south of the country.

The Hong Kong leader also refused to set a target date for the return of two-way travel with the mainland, only saying the city was still striving to achieve its goal of zero infections over 14 consecutive days.

Lam told lawmakers on Wednesday her administration had been “actively following up” on the proposed travel bubble between Hong Kong and Macau after the two cities’ leaders met last Thursday at the Boao Forum for Asia.

“It could be a travel bubble or any mechanism to bring about travelling convenience,” she told a question and answer session in the Legislative Council. “We do not have concrete results to announce, but we are working in this direction.”

The “biggest obstacle”, according to Lam, is how to stop Hong Kong residents from getting around quarantine rules by entering the mainland via Macau.

A reciprocal arrangement in place since last August between the casino hub and the mainland restored quarantine-free travel between both jurisdictions.

Macau is standing firm on the conditions it requires for reopening to Hongkongers.