The Lok Ma Chau checkpoint, which was expected to handle most of each day’s quota, recorded 21,484 cross-border travellers going in either direction over the same period.

Reunions for love birds, early birds as Hong Kong-mainland border reopens

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said after a visit to the checkpoint that the launch of quarantine-free travel had been smooth and orderly, adding authorities on both sides could consider lifting their daily quotas.

Hong Kong travellers who want to cross the border must register on an online platform while mainland residents heading to the city will have to make a booking on the Shenzhen government’s website.

Travellers must also show immigration officers a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result done within 48 hours of departure.

Figures from the Shenzhen government showed 6,000 of Sunday’s 50,000 time slots for Hong Kong-bound travellers had been booked.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said details on the resumption of the rail link would be revealed soon, with staff already undertaking service drills.

Time slots to cross the border ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday are already in high demand among Hongkongers as more than 440,000 mainland-bound travellers had registered on the city’s booking platform by 6pm on Sunday.

Lee earlier revealed the most popular date on the platform was January 20, which only had around 1,000 places left. The second and third most popular dates were January 18 and 21.

Lee added health advisers had said the risk of a spike in Covid-19 infections following the launch of quarantine-free, cross-border travel was manageable.

Slots for travel from Hong Kong to mainland ahead of holiday almost fully booked

Government pandemic adviser Professor David Hui Shu-cheong said, while the city had a high immunity barrier, the reopening process should continue in a gradual manner to safeguard the local healthcare system.

“If the proportion of severe and death cases increases and our healthcare system is overburdened, the authorities could consider reducing the quota for crossing the border, requiring mainland travellers to be vaccinated and do more PCR tests,” he said.

The city on Sunday recorded 14,113 coronavirus infections, 431 of which were imported, and 66 more deaths. The overall tally stands at 2,769,940 cases and 12,342 fatalities.

Some of Sunday’s eager travellers grabbed the first train from Mong Kok East MTR station at 5.28am to reach the cross-border rail terminus at Lok Ma Chau before it opened at 6.30am.

Semiconductor firm engineer Zhou Yuhang was among the early birds on the launch day, travelling on the first train after Wong Tai Sin station opened at 5.50am.

Carrying a handbag to give to his girlfriend, the 24-year-old said he was excited that he would see her following a long absence.

After spending half a year apart, with the pair only able to wave at each other across the Shenzhen River, they embraced and spun around on the spot when they reunited on Sunday.

“I feel so emotional and strange at the same time … We really haven’t met for too long,” said his girlfriend, 24-year-old car company saleswoman Karin Xu.

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Gao Ri, a 45-year-old trader, flew from Beijing to Shenzhen with his son and wife to cross the border at Futian, a route he found “more convenient” to get to Hong Kong.

A high priority for the Beijing residents was to replace their Hong Kong ID cards. They also set aside 100,000 yuan (US$14,620) for a weeklong holiday.

“We’d like to go sightseeing at some villages and hiking, getting a sense of the rural Lingnan culture. I think this should be more meaningful than going to shopping malls,” Gao said.

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A Post reporter touring several dispensaries in the border district Sheung Shui, which used to be popular with mainland shoppers and parallel traders, found few such patrons there on Sunday afternoon.

“I haven’t seen many customers speaking in Mandarin yet, only three or four so far,” said a staff member at Hong Hing Dispensary. “Today is still the first day and I suspect more people will come over later.”

At New Town Plaza in Sha Tin, a shopping centre once crowded with cross-border visitors taking the East Rail line, another Post reporter found only two shoppers from Shenzhen out of 20 people interviewed.

Hong Kong’s airport handled 43,855 passenger trips, covering international destinations as well as the mainland. A total of 2,806 passenger trips were recorded at the Macau Ferry Terminal.

Additional reporting by Oscar Liu, Emily Hung and Edith Lin.