Push to cut checkpoint wait gains traction

Wallis Wang

Lawmakers-elect Bill Tang Ka-piu and Michael Tien Puk-sun said mainland authorities should improve Covid testing arrangements for Hong Kong-bound travelers to shorten the waiting time at border control points.

Control points with the mainland have become busier as Hongkongers travel to the mainland to undergo a 21-day mandatory quarantine in time for Lunar New Year family reunions.

Long queues appeared at Shenzhen Bay border control point on Sunday and though fewer travelers crossed Monday and yesterday, some people said they had to wait for up to six hours for a test.

Speaking on a radio program yesterday, Tang, of the Federation of Trade Unions, suggested that Shenzhen authorities carry out the required tests at quarantine hotels there instead of at control points.

Since Sunday, mainland authorities have required travelers to undergo tests at control points, where people have to wait for hours.

"It may not be necessary for travelers to undergo a test at the checkpoints and they can be tested after arriving at quarantine hotels. The arrangement can be more flexible," Tang said.

People are trying to get to the mainland before January 10 so they can complete a 21-day quarantine before Lunar New Year's Eve on January 31.

Tang said many Hongkongers have stopped waiting for the borders to reopen under a quarantine-free scheme and started to make their way back instead. The number of travelers may reach a peak next week.

Tang said the Hong Kong government should categorize the cross-border travel quota when reopening borders with Guangdong, addressing residents' needs.

"It will be fine even if the Hong Kong government only reserves a small quota for family reunions as long as it can show that it understands people's needs," he said.

Tien, a local delegate to the National People's Congress, said he would ask Hong Kong and mainland authorities to follow up on the unsatisfactory cross-border arrangements.

It is understood that one of the requirements for quarantine-free travel with the mainland is that Hongkongers have to undergo a Covid test 24 hours before crossing the border and then they would not be required to get tested at the border again, Tien said.

"[But] I don't understand why [at present] mainland authorities require Hongkongers to undergo another test on-site, especially if they will undergo hotel quarantine. I don't understand the logic of this arrangement," he said.

"I have told the SAR government to follow up on this. As an NPC deputy, I will also send letters to mainland authorities to ask why they imposed such an illogical arrangement."

Tien said, the way he understood it, that the central government had made the decision to reopen the border before the Legislative Council elections on December 19, but Shenzhen and Zhuhai seemed to have hesitated because of Omicron cases.

Tam Yiu-chung, the SAR's sole delegate to the NPC Standing Committee, and Starry Lee Wai-king, chair of Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, have sent a joint letter to the Shenzhen government, saying the manpower shortage at the Shenzhen Bay port has led to the long waiting time and urged them to deploy more staff.

According to Immigration Department statistics, a total of 1,817 and 1,108 travelers entered the mainland through Shenzhen Bay port on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Some travelers posted their experiences online, reminding others to "eat more and drink less" before crossing the border because of the long wait.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com