The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today announced that normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland will be resumed in phases starting January 8.

This follows a consensus reached after deliberation and co-ordination with the central government, the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, and upon obtaining approval from the central government, it said in a press release.

At Hong Kong International Airport, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HKZMB), Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal and China Ferry Terminal, the total one-way daily transportation capacity is expected to be around 10,000 passengers.

At the Shenzhen Bay Control Point, Man Kam To Control Point and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Futian Control Point, all passenger clearance services as well as normal operating hours will be resumed. The prescribed daily one-way number of people who can pass through these boundary control points (BCPs) will be 10,000 at Shenzhen Bay, 5,000 at Man Kam To, and 35,000 at Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Futian.

To achieve resumption of normal travel in an orderly manner, the Hong Kong SAR Government launched an online booking system which requires Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors to Hong Kong to make bookings before they travel to the Mainland via the Shenzhen Bay Control Point, Man Kam To Control Point, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Futian Control Point and HKZMB.

For the HKZMB, this arrangement is only applicable to drivers and passengers of private cars and cross-boundary hire car services, and the total prescribed daily one-way number of such travellers will be 1,000. No booking is needed for Gold Buses passengers who pass through the HKZMB.

Mainland residents are not required to make any booking for returning to the Mainland.

Similarly, the Shenzhen Municipal Government launched an online booking system for Mainland residents to make bookings before they come to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors returning to Hong Kong from the Mainland are not required to make any booking.

Regarding anti-epidemic measures, the Hong Kong SAR Government announced that people entering the Mainland from Hong Kong or entering Hong Kong from the Mainland, will have to present a negative result for a COVID-19 nucleic acid test within 48 hours prior to the scheduled flight departure time or the time of arrival via a BCP.

The Hong Kong SAR Government will review the overall implementation of the first-stage travel resumption as soon as possible to summarise the experience gained, and maintain liaison with relevant Mainland authorities on the arrangements of any subsequent phase. Such arrangements include covering more BCPs, raising the prescribed daily numbers of travellers, and allowing cross-boundary students to travel every day between the Mainland and Hong Kong after the Lunar New Year for face-to-face classes.

Separately, the Hong Kong SAR Government announced that from January 8, cross-boundary ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau will be resumed gradually, initially with about 10 trips per day.

For land transport, the existing cross-boundary bus services plying between the two places will be strengthened subject to demand.

The virus testing requirement on all inbound travellers from Macau will remain largely unchanged. Those aged three or above on the date of arrival in Hong Kong have to conduct a rapid antigen test within 24 hours or undergo a nucleic acid test within 48 hours.

If they have stayed in the Mainland on the day of, or in the seven days prior to arrival in Hong Kong, they will be required to undergo a nucleic test within 48 hours before to the scheduled time of arrival in Hong Kong.