The Hong Kong government is "planning" to launch its "Come2HKScheme" in the middle of next month "for non-Hong Kong residents in Guangdong and Macau to enter Hong Kong without being subject to compulsory quarantine, upon fulfilment of specified conditions under the scheme," Hong Kong's Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said on Wednesday.
Chan made the remarks in a statement released by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Wednesday. The statement quoted Chow's written response to a question by Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) member Holden Chow Ho-ding on the matter.
In her reply, Chan also said that the Hong Kong government would maintain close communication with the relevant authorities in the mainland and Macau "to discuss the resumption of cross-boundary people flow among the three places in a gradual and orderly matter [with] regard to the latest [COVID-19] endemic situation."
There has been no response by the Macau government to Chan's remarks.
Travel between Hong Kong and Macau has been strictly curbed since early last year by the two special administrative regions' respective COVID-19 prevention and control measures. Ferry links between Hong Kong and Macau have been suspended since February last year and vehicular traffic across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) has been restricted as well.
As of today, Hong Kong's tally of COVID-19 cases stood at 11,728 including 209 deaths, while Macau's amounted to 49 with zero fatalities.
Travel restrictions between the mainland and Macau have been gradually eased over the past few months.
