Lo Wu crossing to reopen Monday

Sophie Hui

The newly renovated Lo Wu port will reopen on Monday, brightening the prospects for shopowners at Luohu Commercial City, which is also back in business the same day.

In a notice to tenants at the mall yesterday, the property management company said it has received "an official notice" that the Luohu port will be "fully reopened" on Monday.

It said travelers will leave Hong Kong and enter Shenzhen through the Luohu port building.

"Everyone please take these few days to tidy up and organize goods. On the first day of port reopening, everyone must open for business," the notice read.

He Shengan, deputy executive manager of Shenzhen Jinluohu Commercial City Property Management, said: " The port will definitely be reopened on February 6," adding that the news came from Shenzhen's port office of entry and exit.

A Hong Kong merchant claimed that Shenzhen officials have told them the cross-border daily quota and PCR test requirement would be canceled Tuesday, February 7.

The port was not among the land control points reopened on January 8 due to construction work.

Currently, people can only travel to the mainland via three ports including Futian (Lok Ma Chau), Man Kam To and Shenzhen Bay.

The news came as dozens of cross-border students returned to school in a resumption of classes after more than three years.

The Education Bureau informed schools on Friday that cross-border secondary school students can come to Hong Kong for classes on Monday. Primary and kindergarten cross-border students can resume face-to-face classes late this month. These students will be exempted from the current 50,000 daily land control quota.

Dozens of cross-border students arrived at Sheung Shui MTR station yesterday to be among the first to return to school after the Lunar New Year holiday, despite being required to book their travel slot online and undergo PCR tests within 48 hours before each trip with negative results.

Fung Kai No 1 Primary School in Shueng Shui welcomed around 30 cross-border students.

Among them was a primary five student, Chow, who was happy to see his classmates and teachers again after having online classes for three years.

"I woke up before six today. I normally wake up after 7 am for online classes," Chow said. "It's worth waking up early."

Chow's father said it took about an hour queuing for the PCR test, adding: "Having online classes for three years have affected my son. He couldn't focus and there were no social interactions with his classmates, so I want to let him return to school as early as possible."

Another primary five cross-border student, Li, said she was so excited that she could not sleep the night before.

Some junior primary students visited their school campus for the first time as they were attending kindergarten online.

A primary two student, Chan said, she found her school campus "very beautiful."

Fung Kai's principal Chu Wai-lam said teachers have been welcoming students at Sheung Shui MTR station.

Chu said about 20 cross-border students who wanted to return to school could not come to Hong Kong as they failed to apply for a quota or get the PCR test done.

He hoped authorities will cancel the daily quota and PCR test requirement and he believed more cross-border students will be able to return to school after more control points such as Louhu and Huanggang ports are opened.

Chu said his school has arranged two 25-minute recess for cross-border students to get to know their classmates. There are tutoring classes and social workers to provide support to students.