Tens of thousands of Hongkongers are finalising plans to reunite with family and friends in mainland China, with many packing medicine for Covid-19 symptoms to take over the border, ahead of Sunday’s long-awaited resumption of quarantine-free travel. Sze Lai-shan, deputy director of the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), a non-governmental advocacy group, said more than 30,000 of its members had secured one of the daily quota spots to head north before Lunar New Year on January 22. “Many members came to us for help to get a slot online. All our members are thrilled and excited. Some told me they felt like they had won the Mark Six jackpot,” she told the Post. “Many said they hadn’t been so happy for many years. They felt very grateful for being able to get a spot to visit their mainland families after three years of coronavirus curbs.” From Sunday, 50,000 travellers a day will be allowed to use land checkpoints at the Lok Ma Chau railway station, Man Kam To and the Shenzhen Bay Port to cross the border each day, in both directions, after reserving a spot online. Another 10,000 travellers are also expected to travel by bridge, air and sea entry points. As of 6pm on Saturday, more than 410,000 residents had registered for visits to the mainland. Sze said those who planned to go north were mainland migrants and local residents with ties over the border. A look at Hong Kong’s Covid-19 restrictions and their long-term effects “They have different reasons to go north. Some hope to visit their families while some hope to get cheaper medical services or personal matters done,” she said. “They’ve all stocked up on Covid-19-related medicine and health supplements hoping to give them to their mainland families and friends as gifts.” Despite securing a quota spot, some residents complained about difficulties in making an appointment for the required polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Travellers must show a negative test result taken within 48 hours of crossing. Those unable to get tested at a government-run community centre, which charge anywhere from HK$150 (US$19) to HK$240, will otherwise have to pay more than HK$1,000 at private clinics and hospitals. Beautician Tracy*, 48, obtained a quota spot to visit her 69-year-old mother and adult daughter in Guizhou province on Tuesday. She had not seen them in three years due to coronavirus restrictions. “I have looked forward to this trip for a long time and I deliberately took one month’s leave for this visit. My mother suffered a stroke before, so I am really worried about her,” she said. “I miss them so much and hope to see them very soon without any hassles.” Slots for travel from Hong Kong to mainland ahead of holiday almost fully booked Li Chun-wing, in his fifties, was among residents waiting to renew mainland travel papers at a service centre in Sheung Wan on Thursday morning. He said he was anxious to head across as his elderly mother’s health had been deteriorating. He last went back to his hometown in Fujian province three years ago. “I’m planning to go on January 11. My mum is in her eighties and I haven’t seen her in so long. She has not been feeling well lately,” Li said. Lin Zekun, 23, a restaurant waiter who had not returned to his hometown in Fujian for four years, was queuing for PCR screening at the Yau Ma Tei community testing centre. He said he booked a spot to cross on Sunday morning, when the border reopens. “It has been four years and I really want to go back. My nephew is already four years old, but I haven’t seen him once,” he said. “I will spend time with my family during Lunar New Year. By then, I can give ‘lucky’ money to my nephew face to face for the first time.” On the mainland side, Michael Mai, a finance undergraduate from Guangdong province, said he looked forward to shopping and eating local delicacies in Hong Kong. The last time he visited the city was in 2019, and he used to make the journey once every year before the pandemic. A fan of Cantopop stars such as Eason Chan Yik-shun and Joey Yung Cho-yee, the 24-year-old was thinking about catching some shows during his stay. “I’ve seen many travel guides and food recommendations videos on social media and I want to try out all these restaurants. There are also many places that I have yet to visit, like the University of Hong Kong, Clear Water Bay and Statue Square,” Mai said. According to pharmacy owners in Wan Chai, drug sales had increased by 10 to 20 per cent in recent weeks. “Some customers will call their mainland friends and purchase for them while others just grab a few boxes of every kind of anti-Covid medicine in the shop,” said one pharmacy worker in Wan Chai. Additional reporting by Karin Lyu and Kitty Wang *Names changed at interviewee’s request.