The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the Shenzhen Bay Control Point today (July 10) to inspect the workflow for special nucleic acid test before departure. He also requested the testing operator to keep on enhancing the testing capacity for rapid nucleic acid test to meet the public need.
      
     With the quotas for Shenzhen's quarantine hotels increased to 2 000 per day earlier and compassionate quotas been added for application by specific groups, the number of travellers departing to Shenzhen through Shenzhen Bay Control Point has been on the rise. The Government has already instructed the testing operator to put additional testing machines and manpower.
      
     Professor Lo said, “The outbound passenger flow during morning peak hours today was relatively large, leading to rather long waiting time for outbound travellers to undergo the special nucleic acid test prior to departure at Shenzhen Bay Control Point. I am sorry for the bottleneck situation at Hong Kong control point and the inconvenience encountered by the outbound travellers following the quota increase of Shenzhen’s quarantine hotels. I have already asked the testing operator to continue to strengthen capacity in conducting rapid nucleic acid test, so as to avoid prolonged waiting arising from clustering of travellers.”
      
     "I would like to express my gratitude to the leaders of the People’s Government of the Guangdong Province and the Shenzhen Municipality, in particular officials from the Emergency Management Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, for their care for Hong Kong citizens and prompt action in increasing Shenzhen’s quarantine hotel quotas. I would also like to thank my colleagues in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, including those from the Department of Health, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department and the Immigration Department, for the facilitation they put through within a short timeframe to cope with the growing passenger flow at Shenzhen Bay Port.
      
     "I understand that there are still quite a number of Hong Kong citizens who need to go to Shenzhen are yet to obtain a quota at a Shenzhen quarantine hotel. I will continue to liaise with the Mainland authorities and proactively drive collaboration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong to enhance our joint effort in the prevention and control of the epidemic. We shall respond to the needs of the citizens as far as possible and expedite the realisation of cross-boundary travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong while fighting and containing the epidemic, with a view to earnestly addressing people's concerns and difficulties in daily life as instructed by President Xi Jinping."
      
     To enable travellers to plan for their trips and depart through the Shenzhen Bay Control Point in an orderly manner, the Government is making relevant preparations on launching an online booking system for the special nucleic acid test during departure at the control point. The booking system is expected to be rolled out within this week. Under the upcoming booking arrangement, travellers must first obtain a quota at a Shenzhen quarantine hotel and then reserve a timeslot for the special nucleic acid test on the day of departure through the online booking system. Relevant travellers shall arrive at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point for the special nucleic acid test according to the timeslots booked. Travellers without bookings will not be allowed to enter the control point for nucleic acid test and clearance procedures. The arrangement will help further shorten the processing time of the special nucleic acid test, reduce the long waiting time of travellers at the control point, and refine the crowd management at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point.
      
     The Government will continue to closely monitor the passenger flow at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and consider adopting corresponding measures in order to minimise the inconvenience to travellers as far as possible, while ensuring that the exportation of cases can continue to be prevented.

Ends/Sunday, July 10, 2022
Issued at HKT 20:16

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