HK-Mainland travel to fully resume

February 3, 2023

Chief Executive John Lee:

The RAT (rapid antigen test) requirement is only applicable to people (who) return to Hong Kong or come to Hong Kong (from overseas for a) visit. We require a RAT for the purpose of ensuring that any risk from overseas can be monitored and controlled. This is really for the benefit of controlling the spread of the (COVID-19) disease. It is really for ensuring that the public’s health is protected. It is for the people’s overall good. 

Obviously, I want to (return) everything (back) to normal as soon as possible, but I have to do it in a balanced and controlled manner, as I have already said many times, so that I do not have to roll back (our anti-epidemic measures).

The reason for keeping it (the RAT requirement) for a while is also that the normal travel resumption with the Mainland would involve a lot of people travelling across the boundary - and that will be a big number. In order to ensure that we will be able to control the risk, then I think we should keep the RAT requirement for people coming into Hong Kong from overseas so as to protect the overall public health of the people, for the good of (the) people.

But I will review it after a period of time, particularly after we have resumed normal travel with the Mainland for a period, and look at the data and then we will decide the next step.

(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland will fully resume from February 6 when all of the city’s land crossings will be open again.

Chief Executive John Lee announced the relevant arrangements during a press conference this morning and added that the quota system for cross-boundary travellers will be scrapped from Monday.

Also starting February 6, apart from dropping the rapid antigen tests (RAT) requirement for people travelling between Hong Kong and Macau, the vaccination requirement for inbound visitors will be lifted.

Meanwhile, visitors from places other than the Mainland or Macau will still need to obtain a negative RAT result before departing for Hong Kong.

Mr Lee emphasised that such a rule serves the purpose of protecting people’s health and he will review it after some time.

“The RAT requirement is only applicable to people (who) return to Hong Kong or come to Hong Kong (from overseas for a) visit.

“We require a RAT for the purpose of ensuring that any risk from overseas can be monitored and controlled. This is really for the benefit of controlling the spread of the (COVID-19) disease. It is really for ensuring that the public’s health is protected. It is for the people’s overall good.

“Obviously, I want to (return) everything (back) to normal as soon as possible, but I have to do it in a balanced and controlled manner, as I have already said many times, so that I do not have to roll back (our anti-epidemic measures).

“The reason for keeping it (the RAT requirement) for a while is also that the normal travel resumption with the Mainland would involve a lot of people travelling across the boundary - and that will be a big number. In order to ensure that we will be able to control the risk, then I think we should keep the RAT requirement for people coming into Hong Kong from overseas so as to protect the overall public health of the people, for the good of (the) people.

“But I will review it after a period of time, particularly after we have resumed normal travel with the Mainland for a period, and look at the data and then we will decide the next step.”