Returnees Thrilled To Be Back, Despite HK Covid Risk

Hong Kong residents returning from Guangdong and Macau under a new scheme that exempts them from quarantine said on Monday that they are thrilled to be back, even though they know a fourth wave of coronavirus infections is hitting the territory.

A woman surnamed Ho who works in Macau said the scheme has allowed her to get back just in time to celebrate her daughter’s 18th birthday.

“The quarantine-free arrangement with a health code is much more convenient… When I went to Macau, I had to be quarantined, and I gained so much weight. It was hard,” she told RTHK.

“I will not go back to Macau until the border reopens. Quarantine is too difficult to endure,” said Ho.

A man who works in the insurance sector said he wouldn’t have come back if both sides required a two-week quarantine period.

“Most importantly, it’s the convenience. Now it’s only 14 days, otherwise it will be 28 days [upon returning to Shenzhen],” he said, adding that he mainly lives on the mainland as he believes it is doing better than the SAR when it comes to countering the coronavirus.

A retired civil servant surnamed Cheung said the Federation of Trade Unions and his wife had helped him to register for the scheme.

He also said the process at the checkpoints was smooth.

“The border opened at 10. It’s now 10.33 and I’m here. It’s not bad,” said Cheung. He added that he had returned to make an annual declaration that he is still alive in order to keep receiving pension.

“I know that it is starting to get worse on this side. Perhaps I will go for tea with one or two friends who live nearby. But big meals or gatherings? I don’t think so,” said Cheung.

The quarantine exemption scheme has a daily quota of 5,000 people.