Coronavirus: Hong Kong in quick U-turn over placing neighbouring Guangdong province on list of ‘medium-risk’ Covid-19 areas
- Hongkongers would no longer have been allowed to cross the land border and enter the city through the quarantine-free ‘Return2HK’ programme
- City confirms one infection, deemed as likely to be imported from Indonesia, while another preliminary-positive case involving migrant worker causes concern
The about-face was announced in a government statement hours after officials said the province would be added to the list following a recent outbreak of the coronavirus in the Liwan district.
Centre for Health Protection officials told a regular Covid-19 press briefing that Guangdong would be joining Anhui and Liaoning provinces on the list, meaning Hongkongers would no longer be allowed to cross the land border and enter the city through the quarantine-free “Return2HK” programme, though they could still arrive on flights or via Macau.
The development came as the city on Saturday confirmed just one Covid-19 infection, deemed as likely to be imported from Indonesia. However, another preliminary-positive infection involving a migrant worker who had been in the city since mid-February could put an end to a week-long streak of zero untraceable local cases.
The government said it was assessing the situation with its Guangdong counterpart.
“The planned Return2HK arrangements will remain unchanged for the time being, and any changes will be announced later,” a government spokesman said.
The statement clarified that while three places including Liwan in Guangzhou city had been adjusted to a “medium-risk area” at present, the province was not classified as such.