HK returnees from GD province, Macau to be granted quarantine exemption

Hong Kong residents will soon be permitted to return to their hometown from Guangdong (GD) province and Macau without having to complete a 14-day quarantine period, starting from November 23.
Initially, the quota will be capped at 5,000 every day — 2,000 quota allotments allocated to those returning via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and 3,000 for those coming via Shenzhen Bay Port.
The quota mechanism has been devised to ensure Hong Kong citizens return in “an orderly manner” and avoid “unnecessary crowding” at border points, Tommy Yuen, Director for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs (Special Duties), said in a briefing.
The scheme, dubbed “Return2hk”, intends to simplify and facilitate the journey for returnees to the city.
Yet the scheme is unilateral, meaning Hong Kong visitors to Macau and GD province still have to undergo mandatory quarantine in destination cities.
Hong Kong residents will be able to make reservations for quota allotments via an online booking platform from November 18 onwards.
Those who meet certain requirements can make applications online from Wednesday to Friday every week to reserve a place to return next week. Quotas will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Successful applicants are required to conduct a Covid-19 nucleic acid test in one of the medical institutions recognized by the governments of Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau within three days of their departure.
Returnees are also asked to upload the negative test result to the electronic health declaration system of the Department of Health through “Yuekang Code” or Macau health code to acquire a QR code for entry into Hong Kong. Staff Reporter