BEIJING (AP) — After two years of separation from his wife in mainland China, Hong Kong resident Cheung Seng-bun made sure he was among the many first to cross the border following the reopening of crossing points Sunday.
The flexibility of residents of the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city to cross over is one of the crucial visible signs of China’s easing of border restrictions, with travelers arriving from abroad also not required to undergo quarantine.
“I’m hurrying to get back to her,” Cheung, lugging a heavy suitcase, told The Associated Press as he prepared to cross at Lok Ma Chau station.
Travelers crossing between Hong Kong and mainland China, nevertheless, are still required to point out a negative COVID-19 test taken inside the last 48 hours — a measure China has protested when imposed by other countries.
Hong Kong has been hard-hit by the virus, and its land and sea border checkpoints with the mainland have been largely closed for nearly three years. Despite the danger of recent infections, the reopening that can allow tens of hundreds of individuals to cross every day is anticipated to supply a much-needed boost to Hong Kong’s tourism and retail sectors.
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China’s borders remain largely sealed, nevertheless, with only a fraction of the previous variety of international flights arriving at major airports. That number is anticipated now to tick upward, with Beijing’s predominant airport preparing to reopen arrival halls which have been quiet for many of the past three years.
China is now facing a surge in cases and hospitalizations in major cities and is bracing for an additional spread into less developed areas with the beginning of the Lunar Recent Yr travel rush, set to get underway in coming days. While international flights are still reduced, authorities say they expect domestic rail and air journeys will double over the identical period last yr, bringing overall numbers near those of the 2019 holiday period before the pandemic hit.
China has said the testing requirements being imposed on its travelers by foreign governments — most recently Germany and Sweden — aren’t science-based and has threatened unspecified countermeasures.
Authorities say that because the government ended compulsory testing and permitted individuals with mild symptoms to check themselves and convalesce at home, it could not provide a full picture of the state of the most recent outbreak.
Government spokespeople have said the situation is under control and reject accusations from the World Health Organization and others that it is just not being transparent in regards to the variety of cases and deaths or providing other crucial information on the character of the present outbreak that may lead to the emergence of recent variants.
Despite such assertions, the Health Commission on Saturday rolled out regulations for strengthened monitoring of viral mutations, including testing of urban wastewater. The lengthy rules called for increased data gathering from hospitals and native government health departments and stepped-up checks on “pneumonia of unknown causes.”
Criticism has largely focused on heavy-handed enforcement of regulations, including open-ended travel restrictions that saw people confined to their homes for weeks, sometimes sealed inside without adequate food or medical care.
Anger was also vented over the requirement that anyone who potentially tested positive or had been in touch with such an individual be confined for commentary in a field hospital, where overcrowding, poor food and hygiene were commonly cited.
The social and economic costs eventually prompted rare street protests in Beijing and other cities, possibly influencing the Communist Party’s decision to swiftly ease the strictest measures and reprioritize growth.
As a part of the most recent changes, China can even not bring criminal charges against people accused of violating border quarantine regulations, based on a notice issued by five government departments on Saturday.
Individuals currently in custody can be released and seized assets returned, the notice said.
The Transportation Ministry on Friday called on travelers to scale back trips and gatherings, particularly in the event that they involve elderly people, pregnant women, young children and people with underlying conditions.
Associated Press reporters Raf Wober, Alice Fung and Karmen Li contributed to this report from Hong Kong.
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