Hong Kong plans to reopen its border with China in mid-January, despite a rebound in Covid-19 infections

Chinawhich is grappling with a new wave of Covid-19 infections, took another step toward easing its pandemic-related restrictions on Saturday when the leader of Hong Kong announced that its goal would be to reopen its borders with the mainland in mid-January.

In a press conference upon his return from Beijing, Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee, declared that the authorities intend to reopen “gradually, orderly and completely” all entry points between the two parties, and coordinate with the government of nearby Shenzhen to manage the flow of people.

At present, people who wish to enter the China mainland via Hong Kong can only do so through the city’s airport or through two checkpoints: Shenzhen Bay or the bridge Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao.

In addition, they must spend a period of quarantine in a hotel before being able to circulate freely.

Hong Kong and Beijing closed their borders in early 2020, when the Covid-19 came to light, and they have remained closed ever since, as China has limited the entry of travelers as part of its strict policy of “zero COVID“.

Earlier this month, Beijing eased nationwide restrictions over the Covid-19removing mandatory testing requirements and travel restrictions.

Although many have welcomed this relaxation, families and the healthcare system were not prepared for the ensuing rise in infections. Hospitals are scrambling for beds and blood, pharmacies for medicines, and authorities rushing to build clinics.

Christmas with Covid

Before Christmas, the authorities of Shanghai They urged residents to stay home this weekend to slow the spread of the virus. The holiday is not traditionally celebrated in China, but it is common for young couples and some families to spend the holidays together.

Despite those warnings, an annual Christmas market held in the Bund, a commercial area, was packed with attendees.

“My friends are all positive, and they have all recovered,” said Liu Yang, 23, a computer worker who was attending the market. “We wanted to take advantage of Christmas, and it’s the weekend, we wanted to walk around and enjoy the air, so we came here.”

Even so, the spread of Omicron is tarnishing the festivities of other businesses and restaurants.

Many restaurants in Shanghai they have canceled the Christmas parties they normally hold for their regular guests, while hotels have limited bookings due to staff shortages, explains Jacqueline Mocatta, who works in the hospitality sector.

“We can only accept a certain number of clients, due to the shortage of staff, as most of the team members are unwell at the moment,” he explained.

According to the British health data company Airfinity, it is likely that in China there are more than a million infections a day and more than 5,000 deaths a day, which is a “stark contrast” with official data.

On Saturday, the national health authority of China reported 4,128 daily symptomatic infections by Covid-19and no deaths for the fourth consecutive day.

Bloomberg News reported on Friday that nearly 37 million people may have been infected with Covid-19 on a single day last week, citing estimates from the government’s top health authority. Officials did not comment on the report.

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