Travel plans: Hong Kong leader in push for talks between local, mainland medical experts with goal of easing Covid-19 curbs

Carrie Lam tells lawmakers she has been actively lobbying central government to reopen border

Mainland side has been cautious about any opening up, concerned about Hong Kong’s border-control measures and continued reporting of imported cases

4-MIN READ4-MIN

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam attends a question and answer session in Legco on Wednesday. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 12:51pm, 8 Sep 2021Updated: 11:36pm, 8 Sep 2021

Hong Kong’s leader has asked Beijing to establish a dialogue between medical experts from the city and mainland China with the goal of gradually relaxing travel restrictions to allow the resumption of cross-border activity that will be crucial to economic recovery.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told lawmakers on Wednesday that she had been actively lobbying the central government to reopen the border, given the city’s recent progress in putting a lid on coronavirus infections.

The mainland side has been cautious so far about any opening up, concerned in particular about Hong Kong’s border-control measures and continued reporting of imported cases. The inability to track Hongkongers’ movements on the other side also remains a major obstacle, as the city’s health code is not linked to the mainland’s because of privacy concerns.

“Now, the epidemic is well under control. We have achieved zero local cases for more than 21 days in a row,” Lam said at a question and answer session in the Legislative Council.

“We also have very strict measures to guard the city against imported cases. The measures are so strict that some business chambers have opposed them.”

Re-establishing cross-border travel with mainland China has been a top administration priority for some time now. Photo: K. Y. Cheng