Hong Kong - A partial closure of border with China

[tetano]

The Hong Kong government will stop issuing individual travel permits for travelers from mainland China, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced at a press conference on Tuesday.

Individual travel permits allow residents of 49 cities on the mainland to "visit Hong Kong in their individual capacity.”

The latest announcement comes as part of Hong Kong's efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

On Saturday, the China Association of Travel Services reported that all tours, including international ones, would be suspended starting Monday. China also stopped domestic group and packaged tours last Friday.

https://edition.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-01-28-20-intl-hnk/index.html

 

[penguinsix]

More details here:

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...a-coronavirus-hong-kong-government-deny-entry

Here is the official press release

https://www.news.gov.hk/eng/2020/01/20200128/20200128_182923_787.html
[h=1]Further measures to fight virus[/h]
January 28, 2020
Chief Executive Carrie Lam today announced measures to stop the novel coronavirus’ spread and said it is not meaningful to talk about the closure of all boundary control points.



Speaking at a press conference, Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong people made up 75% of the passenger flow through the city’s control points up to January 27.



“There are a large number of Hong Kong residents who are now travelling in the Mainland and overseas and they need to come back. So, I don’t think it is very meaningful to talk about a complete closure of the boundary control points.”



She pointed out that the strategy the Government has laid out tries to drastically limit population mobility between Hong Kong and the Mainland through various measures.



"With the full support of the Central Government, they have agreed in principle to cease issuing the Individual Visit Scheme permits. So that will take away 50% of the usual mainland visitors coming to Hong Kong, together with the 20-plus percentage points attributed to group tours from the Mainland.



"Another measure is really to reduce or to consolidate the number of boundary control points. In one go, we are ceasing the service for passengers in six control points. That’s quite a drastic measure.



"So that again will hopefully reduce passenger flow and achieve the outcome of drastically limiting the people or the population mobility between the two places."



The Chief Executive added that the Government has also imposed the stringent measure of not allowing Hubei residents and people who visited the province in the past 14 days, except Hong Kong residents, to enter the city.



"I don’t think many parts of the world have adopted that very stringent measure."

 

[sharon sanders]

It is a PARTIAL shut down.


snip

The government said that the new measures could reduce the number of mainland visitors holding visas by 75%. It is expected that the flow of Mainland visitors could be halved compared to the current one.

https://news.mingpao.com/pns/%e8%a6%...90%bd%e9%96%98

 

[penguinsix]

Hong Kong protestors attempt to shut down the rail links to China this morning.

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...ong-kong-protesters-disrupt-mtr-rail-services