Hong Kong revises the "Risk Level Range" for Guangdong, and public opinion is concerned that the "repeated epidemic" will affect customs clearance between the two places

　　[Global Times Special Correspondent in Hong Kong, Ye Lan] Recently, there have been sporadic confirmed cases in some areas of the mainland, and the changes in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's risk level setting for Guangdong have also made Hong Kong public opinion full of concerns about the next two places' customs clearance.

　　The epidemic in Hong Kong has eased, and people from all walks of life are looking forward to resuming customs clearance with the Mainland and Macau as soon as possible.

According to Hong Kong’s "Sing Tao Daily" report on the 23rd, there have been sporadic confirmed cases in the Mainland recently. Among them, local confirmed cases have been found in Shenzhen Yantian and Guangzhou in Guangdong.

A 75-year-old woman in Liwan District, Guangzhou was diagnosed a few days ago and is a mild patient. Seven close contacts have been isolated and all test results are negative.

She lives in Jinlong Huixin Pavilion, Longjin Street, Liwan District. Since the early morning of the 21st, all residents have been banned from entering and exiting and must undergo nucleic acid testing.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is very concerned about this. On the 22nd, Zhang Zhujun, director of the Infectious Diseases Division of the Center for Health Protection, stated at a press conference on the epidemic that the Hong Kong government has listed Guangdong as a “medium risk area” on the 23rd, and visited Guangdong within 14 days. Of those who are prohibited from using "Easy Return to Hong Kong" to return to Hong Kong, and also said that the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau will announce relevant measures later.

At 7 o'clock in the evening on the 22nd, the Department of Health also issued a manuscript, listing relevant statements.

　　The practice of the SAR government has aroused different opinions in Hong Kong society.

Some Hong Kong people were preparing to return to Hong Kong from Shenzhen, and felt at a loss after hearing the news.

Some Hong Kong businessmen believe that Hong Kong people in Guangdong Province should not be "smashed to death" by a single confirmed case in Guangzhou.

Liang Zhenying, the vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, posted on Facebook that there are “three puzzles”: There is a case in Guangzhou, and there is no “return to Hong Kong” in the whole province. Passengers must be isolated. Is it possible to realize the "tourism bubble" in Hong Kong and Singapore?

This is the "two puzzles"; "the three puzzles are: with this scale, there is no hope for Hong Kong and the mainland to pass customs."

　　The incident turned around at 10:30 pm on the 22nd.

The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau issued a correction stating that the SAR government only listed Jinlong Huixin Pavilion, Longjin Street, Liwan District, Guangzhou City as a "medium-risk area", that is, Guangdong Province is not listed as a "medium-risk area." The arrangements for the "Easy Return to Hong Kong" program will remain unchanged for the time being.

A government spokesman said that Hong Kong residents currently receiving quotas under the "Easy Return to Hong Kong" program should continue to enter Hong Kong in accordance with the specified conditions of the plan and on the designated dates and immigration control points for the quotas.

The Department of Health also corrected the press release issued earlier and deleted the statement that the Guangdong Province "Easy Return to Hong Kong" was suspended.

Liang Zhenying issued a document again, saying that "the SAR government is welcome to do good things."

As for the Macau Special Administrative Region Government, it announced at noon on the 22nd that “in response to changes in the epidemic situation in Guangdong Province, all immigrants who have been to Jinlong Community, Longjin Street, Liwan District, must follow the requirements of the authorities at 2 p.m. today and have been to Jinlong Community, Longjin Street, Liwan District. The designated place will receive 14 days of medical observation".

On the afternoon of the 23rd, there was a new case of asymptomatic infection in Guangzhou.

　　The Director of the Hong Kong Civil Service Bureau, Nie Dequan, admitted in a radio program on the 23rd that the information confusion would be reviewed and reiterated that the Mainland did not include Guangdong Province as a "medium risk area" and the "Easy Return to Hong Kong" arrangement remained unchanged for the time being.

As for whether it will clear customs with the mainland in the near future, Nie Dequan revealed that he has discussed with the mainland, and the mainland party has the right to decide. It is believed that the vaccination rate is one of the mainland's considerations.

Legislative Council member Ge Peifan said that the unsettled customs clearance issues in Hong Kong have recurred. In addition, on the 22nd, there is a new possible local case. The epidemic has repeated and the situation is worrying.

She said frankly that under the current circumstances, it is more difficult to pass customs. The Hong Kong government must firmly clear the zero, and decisively and thoroughly control the epidemic before the three places can be interoperable.

　　The "Easy Return to Hong Kong" program will be extended to other provinces and cities in the Mainland except Guangdong Province and Macau. Eligible Hong Kong residents can be exempted from compulsory quarantine for 14 days after returning to Hong Kong.

According to data from the Department of Health, as of May 21, more than 1,400 people have returned to Hong Kong via the Hong Kong International Airport through the "Easy Return to Hong Kong" program (1,000 places per day).

And if calculated from November 23 last year, more than 139,300 people have entered the Shenzhen Bay Port and more than 17,600 people have entered the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Together with the number of people arriving at the airport, a total of 158,400 people have passed through the "Return to Hong Kong". "Return to Hong Kong.

In addition, in response to the confirmed cases in Lu'an City and Hefei City in Anhui Province, the patient had contact with colleagues in Liaoning Province, and the diagnosis also appeared in Liaoning Province. The Hong Kong Department of Health updated the mainland as a medium or high risk on May 15 and 16. The provinces, cities, and autonomous regions of the region include Anhui Province and Liaoning Province on the list, that is, people from these two places cannot return to Hong Kong through "Easy Return to Hong Kong".

　　Hong Kong's "Oriental Daily" specifically mentioned on the 23rd that the SAR government originally planned to launch an "Easy to Hong Kong" at the end of the month to allow mainland residents to be exempted from compulsory quarantine after they arrive in Hong Kong, but it still disappears near the end of the month.

Cui Dingbang, director general of the Hong Kong Tourism Promotion Association, stated that even if the "Easy to Hong Kong" is successfully implemented, non-Hong Kong residents who come to Hong Kong through the program will still have to be isolated when returning to Guangdong and Macau, which is equivalent to "easy to come to Hong Kong but difficult to return home." Originally there were not enough incentives to attract tourists to Hong Kong, but "Easy to Hong Kong" and "Easy Return to Hong Kong" were used as the basis for reopening the exchanges between the two places. There has been no news about the former, which also makes people worry that the customs clearance will change again and the tourism industry will be more difficult to recover. .