Hong Kong could open up to global travel in roughly six months, after officials have successfully navigated the introduction of quarantine-free borders with mainland China and boosted the local vaccination rate, a government adviser said. Only 17% of those aged 80 and above in Hong Kong have gotten at least one shot, compared with 69% of the entire eligible population. She said Hong Kong officials will soon meet with mainland authorities again to discuss a formal reopening of the border. “The central government and the Hong Kong SAR fully understand that the top priority in Hong Kong is to gradually resume cross border travel between Hong Kong and the mainland for business purposes and other urgent needs.”However, if Hong Kong can’t open the border with mainland China, then it should begin looking at re-establishing ties with other countries, University of Hong Kong epidemiology professor Benjamin Cowling told Bloomberg TV on Monday. He also warned that any travel bubble with the mainland could prove fragile if the delta variant crosses over into Hong Kong.

Source: Hindustan Times November 09, 2021 19:32 UTC