(Fighting against New Coronary Pneumonia) Under the new "3+4" quarantine regulations, the "transit" function of mainland students returning home to Hong Kong by "borrowing" is being restored

　　China News Agency, Hong Kong, August 14 (Reporter Han Xingtong) Hong Kong has implemented new "3+4" quarantine regulations since August 12, and hotel quarantine has been shortened to 3 days. A large number of mainland students studying overseas decided to "borrow" Hong Kong back to the mainland.

Yao Boliang, a member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and chairman of Hong Kong China Travel Service Co., Ltd., said in an interview with a reporter from China News Agency on the 14th that Hong Kong, as an international aviation hub, is recovering its "transit station" function.

　　The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Li Jiachao, recently announced that those arriving in Hong Kong from overseas or through the airport in Taiwan, China, will undergo a 7-day quarantine hotel quarantine instead of a 3-day quarantine hotel quarantine plus 4 days of home medical surveillance.

Those arriving in Hong Kong will be given a "yellow code" during the four-day medical surveillance period, allowing them to go out, including taking public transport, going to work, and entering shopping malls.

　　This is undoubtedly good news for international students in Hong Kong and the mainland.

"Mainland students can enter Hong Kong and complete the 3-day hotel quarantine before flying to the mainland. There is no need to wait for the end of the 4-day medical surveillance." Yao Boliang said that if the flight booked earlier cannot be changed, "then go home after spending a few days in Hong Kong. ."

　　This is what Bao Jinming, a graduate of the University of London, planned to do. She booked a flight from London to Hong Kong on September 11 and from Hong Kong to Hangzhou on September 19. "Many students choose Hong Kong, relatively Said that air tickets are cheap, and it is safer to transit through Hong Kong." After the launch of the "3+4" new policy, although Bao Jinming could not change the booking due to the lack of flights from Hong Kong to Hangzhou, she was still excited about it, "4 days When I have time, I will wander around Hong Kong, which is relatively free, and I haven't traveled to Hong Kong for a long time."

　　In Yao Boliang's opinion, transiting through Hong Kong is one of the best choices for these international students. "First of all, compared with Singapore and other places, Hong Kong is always my own place, and I feel a little bit of psychological care." Secondly, returning to the mainland from Hong Kong There are more options. You can fly directly to mainland cities via the airport, enter Shenzhen via Shenzhen Bay, or enter Zhuhai via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

Moreover, Hong Kong's epidemic prevention and control measures are stricter than those in overseas regions, and air ticket prices are more affordable. It is believed that it can also attract mainland students.

　　In fact, according to his observations, as early as June, the trend of a large number of mainland students returning to the mainland through Hong Kong was already very obvious.

This can be corroborated by the overall visitor arrival data published by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).

Overall visitor arrivals jumped to 41,112 in June, a more than five-fold increase year-on-year and a higher number than the January-May combined.

After analyzing the information of visitors to Hong Kong, the HKTB said that nearly 70% of the visitors who visited Hong Kong in June came from overseas, and used Hong Kong as a stopover for an overnight stay before returning to mainland cities.

　　In July, Shenzhen made an additional 2,000 appointments at the health station every day, and specially increased the number of customs clearance places for humane care for 8 special groups of people, including foreign students who entered Shenzhen and stayed in Hong Kong for more than 5 days.

The relevant measures further open up the return journey of international students "borrowing" Hong Kong.

　　"As an international aviation hub, Hong Kong's function as a 'transit station' is recovering." Yao Boliang said, but looking forward to the future, he emphasized that Hong Kong must "walk on two legs", and strive to gradually "clearance" with the mainland, but also gradually with overseas Regional alignment.

(Finish)