Hong Kong’s new health chief reportedly spoke about the possibility of quarantine-free travel by November, in time for the city’s global banking summit.

By the time the Hong Kong Monetary Authority hosts the global banking summit scheduled for November 1 and 2, travelers could experience quarantine-free entry into the city, according to an «SCMP» interview with health chief Lo Chung-mau.

But this could entail other conditions including a screening test, the use of a medical surveillance app and initial restrictions to high risk venues such as bars. Quarantine locations could also change from a fixed list of hotels to home isolation. 

«Listen to what President Xi Jinping said on Hong Kong’s 25th handover anniversary,» Lo said. «He talked about ‘four necessities’ and the fourth one is very important – he stressed Hong Kong must maintain its own uniqueness and strengths.»

Surveillance App

While Lo was seeking to loosen border controls, he was also tightening local conditions including the introduction of registration of a real name for the existing medical surveillance app alongside a new color-based function to bar individuals from local premises, similar to the system used in the mainland China. Hong Kong is also reinstating electronic wristband trackers for those in home isolation.

On whether or not such systems were designed to curb freedoms, Lo denied such claims and instead said they were used to enhance freedoms.

«We are really acting out of a kind heart and want to help the travelers,» Lo said, adding that restricting entry into high risk venues made a reduction in hotel quarantine possible.

One Country, Two Systems

On following mainland Chinese policy, Lo noted differences in Hong Kong’s demographics, medical infrastructure and vaccination rates, underlining that the 'one country, two systems’ approach also applied to the pandemic. And when asked if Hong Kong was replicating Macau’s model with its color-coded app, Lo said that he «never copied others».

«The whole purpose [of the health code] is not to trap people, we only hope to identify those who are really at risk […] Hong Kong is a very international city, we are different from Macau, we have different needs,» Lo said. 

According to Lo, internal modeling at the Hong Kong government predicted a rebound from the recent fifth wave of Covid and a peak in September with up to 10,000 patients requiring hospitalization. But he also said that actually achieving zero cases of Covid infections was not possible, adding that Hong Kong needs to «find our own zero».