In this March 10, 2020 photo, a man and his dog sit near the check-in counters at Hong Kong International Airport amid a novel coronavirus outbreak. (ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

HONG KONG – The Airport Authority Hong Kong has announced that starting from Monday all passengers to Beijing are required to present a valid proof of a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result before boarding any flight from Hong Kong. 

Passengers must take the test at one of the testing institutions recognized by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, the Airport Authority said on Saturday. 

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The test must be done within seven days before boarding, it added. 

From Saturday through Oct 15, travelers from the Chinese mainland will be able to transfer or transit in the Hong Kong International Airport to other destinations. However, the transfer and transit service for the other way around is still suspended, the Airport Authority announced on Thursday.