Shenzhen travel quota up

The daily quota for Hong Kong-to-Shenzhen travelers increased to 1,500 from 1,000 yesterday, one day after the closing of the 20th national congress of the Chinese Communist Party.

Hongkongers need to enter Shenzhen by obtaining quarantine quotas and completing a mandatory seven-day quarantine in hotels. The quotas are assigned by ballot.

The daily quarantine quota for Hong Kong arrivals was reduced to 1,000 from the previous 2,000 on September 12 because of the Covid outbreak in Shenzhen, said the chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, Wong Kwok.

Only three of the eight categories of "special people" can apply for the "humanity care quota:" people whose immediate family members have recently become critically ill or passed away: those who need to attend court hearings; and those taking important examinations.

There had been speculation that Beijing would ease the quarantine requirement to a 3+4 arrangement after the congress, and some Hongkongers also had hoped that Beijing would fully reopen the border after the meeting.

But mainland media reported days before the congress that the zero-Covid strategy would still be in place, dashing people's hopes.

Business sectors earlier said the quarantine measures had brought difficulties and high costs.

Yesterday, the quota only increased by 500 while more than 5,000 people were in the queue.

The National Health Commission reported there were 998 infections on Saturday, with 838 local infections reported from 31 provinces, of which 683 are asymptomatic infections.

No deaths were reported.

Shenzhen, a city of more than 17 million, reported 17 new infections on Saturday, with six of them identified as asymptomatic patients.

That came as Hong Kong saw 5,535 new infections, 5,143 local and 392 imported cases, plus four deaths of people aged 68 to 86 years old.

Five cases were reported from two elderly homes and three disabled care homes, with a total of 13 residents listed as close contacts.