The Hong Kong government said on Wednesday that it will cover the cost of COVID-19 tests for cross-boundary truck drivers traveling between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.
From Friday, the Shenzhen municipal government and the Zhuhai municipal government will require all cross-boundary truck drivers entering the two cities from Hong Kong to provide health certifications. The documents must be issued within seven days confirming that the drivers had tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
The documents must be issued within seven days confirming that the drivers had tested negative for the novel coronavirus
The mainland authorities will conduct on-site tests for truck drivers from Hong Kong at Shenzhen Bay Port and Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Each test costs HK$350 (US$45).
Truck drivers play a key role in delivering food and daily necessities from the mainland to Hong Kong. Currently, around 10,000 cross-boundary container truck drivers are engaged in transporting goods between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
The Hong Kong government had earlier closed down all but three control points for commuters, and required all arrivals in the city to be quarantined for 14 days. The arrangement does not apply to people involved in supplying goods to Hong Kong, such as truck drivers.
An average of 8,197 trips a day were made in March by goods vehicles entering Hong Kong, with 8,186 trips departing from Hong Kong — a 20 percent increase over both inbound and outbound trips in January.
