We're Working Towards Easing Covid Curbs: CE

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said he will no longer use "zero plus something" to label Covid policies, adding that authorities are trying to ease restrictions as much as possible.

At present, under the "0+3" arrangement, inbound travellers do not have to undergo hotel quarantine but are given an amber health code, barring them from going to restaurants and certain places for three days.

In a Ming Pao opinion piece, Lo Man-tuen, vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, said the "0+3" arrangement has become de facto "0+0", after the government worked to scrap as many restrictions as possible while managing risks.

But Lo said he believes if Hong Kong refers to its travel restrictions as "0+0", it would give the mainland the impression that the SAR is "completely not guarded", which in turn makes it harder to propose measures on allowing Hongkongers to cross the border more easily.

Speaking to reporters ahead of his weekly Executive Council meeting, the CE reiterated that Hong Kong's Covid policy is simple and clear.

"There is much discussion about '0+0' and '0+3'. What does '0+0' mean? It means something different to different people. I will not specify what sort of arrangement if it is '0+0' or '0+3'," he said.

"As long as we keep Covid risks manageable, we try to minimise the restrictions as much as possible. That position is clear."

He also said Hong Kong has a duty to ensure it does not add to Covid risks on the mainland, as he acknowledged that infection numbers across the border are on the up.

Lee added that discussions are underway on facilitating border crossing, including a plan on letting people quarantine in the SAR first before travelling to the mainland.

Meanwhile, the Jockey Club said people visiting racecourses will no longer be required to present their vaccine record QR codes from Sunday. The announcement follows the government’s earlier announcement that some Covid curbs will be relaxed from Thursday.

The jockey club said people with amber codes will be allowed to enter racecourses and eat in outdoor areas. However, they cannot eat at indoor restaurants.

The club also said live entertainment will return starting next Wednesday.