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Published: 21:24, November 04, 2021 | Updated: 22:43, November 04, 2021
HKMAO: Mainland, HKSAR working toward reopening border
By Wang Zhan
Published:21:24, November 04, 2021 Updated:22:43, November 04, 2021 By Wang Zhan

Employees of cross border bus companies wearing face masks as a preventative measure against COVID-19 stand at the bus stop of Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area on Feb 8, 2020. (PHILIP FONG / AFP)

BEIJING - The Chinese mainland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are working together on the resumption of quarantine-free travel and their efforts are proceeding in an orderly fashion, a central government spokesperson said Thursday.

The central authorities care a lot about the COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong, and the relevant central departments attach great importance to the issue of resuming quarantine-free travel, the spokesperson with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said in a statement.

A central government spokesperson said Hong Kong has made notable progress on anti-epidemic work and achieved the goal of clearing infections on an ongoing basis, thanks to joint efforts from the HKSAR government and different sectors of the community

The spokesperson said Hong Kong has made notable progress on anti-epidemic work and achieved the goal of clearing infections on an ongoing basis, thanks to joint efforts from the HKSAR government and different sectors of the community.

READ MORE: Mainland border opening key to better HK integration into Bay Area

In particular, the HKSAR government has recently continued adjusting and improving the region's anti-epidemic measures and mechanisms, and further consolidated the progress on preventing both the importation of cases and the resurgence of local infections, said the spokesperson.

The relevant central departments and the HKSAR government have been maintaining close contacts on COVID-19 epidemic control, said the spokesperson. 

Experts from the mainland and Hong Kong have held another meeting recently to study the epidemic situation, during which the two sides reached agreements on a range of issues, the spokesperson added.  

In a separate statement, a spokesman for the HKSAR government said a video conference was held on Tuesday between relevant officials and experts of the two sides on the resumption of quarantine-free travel.

The video conference exchange was constructive, heading towards the goal of resumption of quarantine-free travel, and was conducive to the forthcoming second meeting.

 Spokesman, HKSAR government

“The video conference exchange was constructive, heading towards the goal of resumption of quarantine-free travel, and was conducive to the forthcoming second meeting,” the spokesman said.

During the video conference, officials and experts discussed and elaborated on the feedback and information provided by the HKSAR government in response to the first meeting held between the two sides on Sept 26, the spokesman said.

The HKSAR government will continue to strengthen anti-epidemic measures with the target of "zero infection" in order to foster favorable conditions for the early resumption of quarantine-free travel between the two places in a gradual and orderly manner, the spokesman said.

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The HKSAR government will also put forward anti-epidemic measures in accordance with the principle of joint prevention and control in order to ensure that resumption of quarantine-free travel would not impose additional risk to the anti-epidemic work in the mainland, the spokesman said.

“The HKSAR government expressed gratitude to the central government for its support and care to the anti-epidemic work of HKSAR all along, and also for its prompt response to the HKSAR government in organizing a video conference exchange with relevant authorities,” the spokesman noted.

With Xinhua inputs


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