Chinanews.com, January 6th. According to Hong Kong's "Ta Kung Pao", the long-awaited quarantine-free customs clearance in the Mainland will be implemented on January 8. In the first phase, seven ports will be opened, covering sea, land and air transportation, including those already in operation. Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Shenzhen Bay Port, the reopened Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal, China Ferry Terminal, Man Kam To Port and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Futian Port.
There are about 60,000 quotas for "going north" and "going south" each day, and you must make an appointment online to obtain the quota.
The response from the public was very enthusiastic. The reservation system opened at 6:00 pm on the 5th. As of 11:00 pm, in just 5 hours, more than 250,000 people had successfully made reservations, and the reservations were fully booked for many days before and after the Spring Festival. Different cross-border transportation operators also quickly announced the customs clearance day tickets arrange.
The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Li Jiachao, thanked the central government for agreeing to gradually, orderly, and comprehensive customs clearance with the mainland. He is confident in controlling risks, leading the society out of the troubles of the epidemic, and allowing citizens to resume normal people's livelihood and economic activities.
The Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council announced on the 5th that new measures for the entry of Hong Kong and Macao residents will be implemented from January 8th. Entry into Hong Kong requires a 48-hour nucleic acid negative certificate, but no nucleic acid test is required after entry, providing convenience for entry and exit personnel to quickly clear customs.
On the afternoon of the 5th, Chief Executive Li Jiachao led a press conference with Chief Secretary for Administration Chen Guoji and other directors to announce the details of the first phase of customs clearance with the Mainland.
The China Ferry Terminal and the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal will be reopened. The two ports, together with the airport, and the Jinbus on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will not be subject to quota restrictions. Citizens can set off directly as long as they have air tickets, boat tickets or train tickets. There is no quota limit.
As for the three land ports, including the currently operating Shenzhen Bay Port, the re-opened Lok Ma Chau Branch Line and Man Kam To Port, the daily quota for "Northbound" and "Southbound" is 50,000. 1, followed by Shenzhen Bay Port with 10,000 per day, and Man Kam To Passenger Port with 5,000 per day.
People from the two places must make an appointment through the online systems of the two places, but Hong Kong residents returning to Hong Kong will not be counted in the quota, and no appointment is required.
The first phase of customs clearance does not include the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail and the Luohu port.
The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Lin Shixiong, explained that the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail will take time to practice and test run to ensure safe and secure operation, but it will reopen no later than January 15, and will start a new road from West Kowloon Station to Guangzhou East; as for Luohu Port, due to ongoing construction, has not been reopened for the time being.
Secretary for Security Tang Bingqiang said that the reservation platform operates 24 hours a day and is open for citizens to make reservations for eight weeks. Applicants need to make reservations for designated ports, designated days and designated time periods. Each day is divided into three periods, namely morning, afternoon and evening to ease the flow of people. Each applicant can make an appointment with up to three companions (i.e. 1+3); after a successful appointment, the applicant needs to arrive at the port at the designated port, date and time to pass the customs smoothly.
Do "Hong Kong drifters" who work or study in Hong Kong need to make an appointment to go to the mainland or return to Hong Kong?
The Security Bureau replied to "Ta Kung Pao" that under the arrangement of the first stage of customs clearance, mainland residents going to the mainland, Hong Kong residents going to Hong Kong, including all people holding Hong Kong identity cards, and foreign tourists returning to Hong Kong after "going north" through Hong Kong , no appointment required.
The Office of the Chief Information Officer of the SAR government also clearly pointed out that mainland residents who hold a travel permit to and from Hong Kong and Macau do not need to make an appointment to return to the mainland; citizens holding Hong Kong identity cards do not need to make an appointment to return to Hong Kong from the mainland.
Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao emphasized that the first phase of the arrangement, taking into account the need for order and no chaos, is calculated based on about 60,000 people per day, that is, nearly 1.8 million Hong Kong people will enter the mainland in one month, and more than 3.6 million people will enter the mainland in two months. It is half of the population; in the face of the continuous epidemic, Li Jiachao said that he is still confident in risk management and control.
In addition, cross-border ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau will be gradually resumed starting from January 8. Cross-border ferry services passing through the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal will be gradually resumed. Initially, a total of about 10 daytime ferry services will be provided every day.