'Improve Covid Testing For Cross-border Travellers'

Mainland authorities have been urged to improve Covid-19 testing arrangements for Hongkongers crossing the border, after one crossing point recently became congested with people travelling north for Chinese New Year in February.

The mandatory 21-day quarantine on the mainland means that people who want to meet relatives there for the holiday have to leave Hong Kong much earlier than usual.

Speaking on an RTHK show, lawmaker-elect Bill Tang from the Federation of Trade Unions said many of these travellers are elderly, and some had told his group that it took six hours for them to cross the border and arrive at their quarantine hotel.

He suggested that authorities carry out the required Covid-19 tests at quarantine hotels, instead of on site.

"Don't let the residents wait at the border, but wait at the designated hotels to get the test. This is a more efficient [way] to solve the problem of waiting a long time. Because their target is to go back to mainland China before February 1, in the coming week, it's the peak time. So the improvement is necessary," Tang said.

Speaking on the same show, a local delegate to the National People's Congress, Michael Tien, also expressed dissatisfaction with the current arrangements, saying he will ask Hong Kong and mainland authorities to follow up.

Tien, who is also a lawmaker-elect, said according to his understanding, the central government had made the decision to reopen the border before the Legco elections, but Shenzhen and Zhuhai seem to be hesitating because of a rise in Omicron cases.