Coronavirus: long-awaited reunions for love birds, early birds as Hong Kong-mainland China border reopens after 3 years of restrictions
- Hong Kong leader John Lee tours border checkpoint, says return of normal travel is the next target
- Security chief says half of daily cross-border quota has been taken, with 7,000 people already leaving Hong Kong in the morning
Thousands of eager travellers descended on newly reopened border checkpoints early on Sunday to cross between Hong Kong and mainland China for family reunions or business purposes without the need to quarantine for the first time in three years.
At the Lok Ma Chau spur line checkpoint, which will handle 70 per cent of the 50,000 daily quota for travellers heading to the mainland, many people had taken the first train at 5.28am from Mong Kok East station before the crossing opened at 6.30am.
To cross the border, Hong Kong travellers must register in advance on an online platform while mainland residents heading to the city will have to make a booking on an official Shenzhen government website.
Hong Kong security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung on Sunday morning said 7,000 people had left the city so far with half of the daily quota taken.
More than 6,600 mainland residents have booked to visit Hong Kong, including 3,800 via the Futian checkpoint, with peak hours expected from around 8am to 10am and at 2pm.
Travellers must also show immigration officers a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result done within 48 hours of departure.
