HK reveals deal for resuming travel to mainland from Sunday

 By The SUN

 

Security Bureau staff conduct a drill at Man Kam To in preparation for Sunday's border reopening

At least 60,000 people will be allowed to travel to the mainland from Hong Kong each day starting Sunday, without having to undergo quarantine, with the same number of travelers being allowed to enter from the opposite direction.

The daily traffic could easily double, as prior registration is not required for people returning home on either side of the border, and mainland students who need to cross over to Hong Kong daily to attend classes.

The details of the much-anticipated reopening of China’s border were disclosed at a press conference on Thursday afternoon led by Chief Executive John Lee.

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“We are almost at 100 percent normality,” said CE Lee. “We are just one step away from pre-pandemic levels.”

He said the only thing left is the mask mandate, and the quarantine order for infected patients.

Under the scheme, 35,000 HK residents will be able to travel to the mainland daily by rail via Lok Ma Chau Station; 10,000 through Shenzhen Bay Port; and 5,000 via the Man Kam To checkpoint, after first making bookings online.

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An additional 10,000 people are expected to cross the border by air (through Hong Kong International Airport), sea (HK-Macau Ferry Terminal and China Ferry Terminal), and through the HK-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

The number includes the 1,000 daily quota set for those who will travel by private cars and cross-boundary hire cars via the HK-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

The numbers could significantly increase when the high-speed West Rail line resumes service on January 15.

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CE Lee said the authorities on both sides of the border will review how the initial re-opening plan goes before deciding when to increase the quota.

Simulated crowd control at the Shenzhen Bay Port 

Earlier, Beijing authorities announced that all travelers to the mainland will have to present a negative result for a PCR test conducted up to 48 hours before their border crossing.

Anyone found to have a fever or who declares a relevant health problem will be tested again for Covid on arrival at the border.

People found to be infected will be told to isolate if they are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms, while more seriously ill people should be sent for medical treatment.

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At the press conference, Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau said people returning to Hong Kong from the mainland will also need to take a PCR test in advance, but once they are allowed in would only be advised to do rapid tests for the first five days.

Lee downplayed concerns that Hong Kong’s healthcare system could be overstretched with the re-opening of the border with the mainland.

"Even though we have a high number of cases recently, we have already passed the top of this wave," he said.

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"The medical service, having been able to cope even when this wave has reached its climax, gives me the confidence that we will be able to continue to run the public health service efficiently and effectively."

Health authorities on Thursday reported 18,422 new Covid-19 cases, a marked decrease from the more than 29,000 infections reported on December 31. But the day’s related death tally remained significant at 68.

A total of 5,157 patients who tested positive for Covid-19 are being treated in various public hospitals. Among them, 206 patients are listed in critical condition and 259 are seriously ill.

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Meanwhile, more than 250,000 people have already signed up to cross the border via land crossing on an online booking platform set up only on Thursday night, said the government.

The online booking system initially allows travelers to reserve slots from Jan 8 to Mar 4, and a new seven-day time slot will be made available every Sunday.

The daily quota will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, and each traveler can reserve spots for up to three other companions.

Applicants will have to enter their HKID card number and personal details, and then pick a slot and their border crossing preference.

Successful applicants will receive a QR code that they have to show when crossing the border at the time reserved, along with a negative PCR test result.

For those entering Hong Kong, the same booking requirement applies to mainland residents who must reserve their spot through a system operated by the Shenzhen government.

Returning Hong Kong residents need not make a booking to re-enter.

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Macau to admit HK visitors without prior testing

By The SUN

3 years of strict pandemic rules have left Macau's famous landmarks deserted (File) 

From Sunday, people traveling to Macau from Hong Kong, the mainland and Taiwan will no longer be required to present a negative Covid test result before entering.

However, travelers from other countries will still need to present a negative PCR test result obtained within 48 hours of their arrival in Macau.

Hong Kong did not, however, reciprocate the measure, announcing a few hours later that the existing testing requirement for all inbound travelers from Macau will remain unchanged.

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That means, all inbound persons from Macau aged 3 or above will still be required to present a negative result for a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours, or a PCR test within 48 hours, before they enter Hong Kong.

If they had stayed in the Mainland within seven days prior to arrival in Hong Kong, they will still be required to present a negative result for a PCR test conducted within 48 hours of their arrival here.

Macau’s decision to further relax entry rules was made shortly before Hong Kong officials announced the resumption of quarantine-free travel to the Mainland.

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Apart from presenting a negative PCR test result, foreign passport holders, like visitors from HK, Taiwan and the mainland, will no longer be required to make a health declaration at Macau's border control points, or undergo health monitoring measures after arrival.

The Macau International Airport will also resume its transfer and transit services, which were largely suspended for the past three years as part of the gambling hub’s strict pandemic control measures.

Separately, Hong Kong announced that cross-boundary ferry services to and from Macau will resume gradually from Jan. 8, with about 10 trips being made per day.

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Bus services between the two SARs will also resume - and strengthened - subject to demand.

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Unifil calls for full investigation into NAIA fiasco

By The SUN

 

Some of those stranded in NAIA on Jan 1 flew into HK 3 days later

United Filipinos in Hong Kong has called on the Philippine government to take full responsibility for the New Year’s Day glitch which caused the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila to grind to a halt, with no planes being able to land, or fly out.

Among the hundreds of thousands of passengers affected by the fiasco blamed on a power outage that paralyzed air traffic control at Manila’s domestic and international airports, were foreign domestic workers returning to Hong Kong.

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Unifil hit out at the government for not saying anything about the incident, much less apologize for the inconvenience and trouble it caused to many.

“Aside from preventing the actual fiasco from happening on what is probably the busiest day of the year, the national government is silent on what is happening. No investigation on what happened? The national government couldn't even be bothered with a "thoughts and prayers" tweet?,” asked Unifil chair Dolores Balladares-Pelaez in a statement.

“Just goes to show how unconcerned they are with how the stranded passengers, especially OFWs. Do they have food to eat? Where are they staying? Nothing.”

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In the first few hours after the NAIA ground to a halt on Sunday, Jan. 1, many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) had complained of not being told what they should be doing, or of getting little assistance from anyone.

One Hong Kong-bound OFW had told a local news network that she feared losing her job because her employer had specifically told her to be back by January 1 as work and school were due to resume the next day after the holiday season.

She also complained about getting only a pack of biscuits and a small bottle of water from the airline, which also could not tell her if she could leave within the day.

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Hong Kong employers also got frantic, as many had made the airline bookings for their helpers and as such, had to do the re-bookings themselves.

Many said in an online chat about not getting any help from the airlines on how they could rebook the flights, which was the earliest flight available, and whether they would be charged a fee or not. Some worried about their helpers being made to wait for hours in the airport, after having already stayed there for awhile after flying in from the provinces.

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Yesterday, a couple of OFWs who managed to get on a plane back to Hong Kong after being stranded on January 1 also recalled being given the run-around about when they could possibly leave.

One said she had tried to rebook her flight online, but was dismayed to see the hefty amount she was being made to pay. Luckily she tried queuing up at the airline service counter instead, and was able to get a new flight without having to pay a penalty.

The Department of Migrant Workers eventually stepped in, and through a hotline, offered to secure temporary hotel stay for the stranded OFWs, and help them rebook their flights.

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DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said in a radio interview that about 200 OFWs were placed in hotels across the country with government help as of Tuesday, Jan. 3, and 60 of them were already due to leave yesterday.

About 3,000 were helped in rebooking their flights.

Cacdac also said labor attaches all over the world have been instructed to help Filipino workers explain to their employers why they missed a day or two of work after the holidays.

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Unifil said in future, they hope the DMW would be more proactive in looking for OFWs who need help instead of just announcing their hotline.

But ultimately, it said the government must give full accountability for what happened, and will not use the incident to justify the privatization of the airport, which some officials have begun pushing for.

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1 Filipino, 4 Indonesians jailed for illegal work

 

The raid on Dec 28 during which the 5 illegal workers were arrested

Five illegal workers, comprising one Filipino and four Indonesians, were each jailed for 15 months at Shatin Court on Dec 30, according to information published in the government website earlier today, Jan. 4.

The five, aged 32 to 47, were arrested on December 28 while working as dishwashers in a restaurant in Mong Kok, as part of an Immigration Department’s operation called “Twilight.”

During identity checks, the Filipina produced for inspection a recognisance form issued by Immigration, which prohibits her from taking employment. Further investigation revealed that she was a non-refoulement claimant. She was sentenced to 15 months in jail.

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The four Indonesians were all found to have overstayed her visas on top of working illegally. They were sentenced to six to 20 days’ imprisonment for overstaying and 15 months for illegal work. All sentences are to run concurrently, making a total of 15 months’ imprisonment.

The five were among 14 people arrested during a two-day anti-illegal worker operations conducted by Immigration and the police between Dec 28 and 29. Ten suspected illegal workers, three suspected employers and one overstayer were arrested in the operations.

The territory-wide raids were conducted on premises under renovation, residential buildings, commercial buildings and restaurants.

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The government statement warns that under section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business.

The law provides a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. Under a sentencing guideline issued by the High Court, an immediate custodial sentence of 15 months is prescribed for all those found guilty of doing illegal work.

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Employers face a heftier penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500,000.

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