Travellers' health code mooted

June 23, 2020

Chief Executive Carrie Lam: 
Let me say that I fully understand and recognise the hardship and grievances of many Hong Kong people who cannot travel across the boundary because of these anti-epidemic measures in terms of boundary control.

We have been working very hard to find a way to at least allow some essential travel to take place. So, under the regulation imposing the 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement, that is Cap 599C, there are exemptions. At the moment I think we have a dozen categories of exemptions for truck drivers, for government operations, for people involved in the anti-epidemic work, and for people who have a factory on the Mainland and so on. Now the problem is not just on our side because the Mainland authorities have also imposed a 14-day mandatory requirement since the end of April. So we have to find a way to overcome both sets of 14-day requirements, before people could readily travel again.

A lot of work has been done on that front including the health code. The health code actually means that you need to have, in your possession, a certificate to prove that you have a COVID-19 test which is negative, then you can travel without this 14-day mandatory requirement.

As far as the timing, we want to do it as soon as possible, but there are certain technical issues to overcome and the number of people that we will be allowing across the boundary every day, and so on. But I can tell you the detailed work covers both Guangdong and Macau. 

I have personally spoken to Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng, and both governments, the Hong Kong and Macau governments are also working very hard to achieve that sort of facilitating travel for our respective citizens. Hong Kong people want to go to Macau, Macau people need to come to Hong Kong for various businesses. So let me assure you that we attach a lot of importance, we are working very hard and we hope to be able to tell you the arrangement when we are in a position to do so.

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is actively working with Guangdong and Macau on introducing a health code which would allow more people to travel again.

Speaking ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, Mrs Lam said she fully understands and recognises the hardship and grievances of Hong Kong people who cannot travel because of the anti-epidemic measures.

She also noted that exemptions have been made under the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap 599C) for those in sectors where cross-boundary travel is necessary.

"We have been working very hard to find a way to at least allow some essential travel to take place. So, under the regulation imposing the 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement, that is Cap 599C, there are exemptions.

"At the moment I think we have a dozen categories of exemptions for truck drivers, for government operations, for people involved in the anti-epidemic work, and for people who have a factory on the Mainland and so on."

Mrs Lam pointed out that Mainland authorities have also imposed a 14-day mandatory quarantine, so both sides have to discuss how to relax the requirements, including introducing a health code.

"A lot of work has been done on that front including the health code. The health code actually means that you need to have, in your possession, a certificate to prove that you have a COVID-19 test which is negative, then you can travel without this 14-day mandatory requirement.

"As far as the timing, we want to do it as soon as possible, but there are certain technical issues to overcome and the number of people that we will be allowing across the boundary every day, and so on. But I can tell you the detailed work covers both Guangdong and Macau.

"I have personally spoken to Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng, and both governments, the Hong Kong and Macau governments are also working very hard to achieve that sort of facilitating travel for our respective citizens. Hong Kong people want to go to Macau, Macau people need to come to Hong Kong for various businesses. So let me assure you that we attach a lot of importance, we are working very hard and we hope to be able to tell you the arrangement when we are in a position to do so."