‘Food supplies stable despite driver quarantine’

The government on Sunday played down concerns that food supplies from the mainland would be limited after cross-border drivers were ordered into quarantine, amid warnings from the industry that the price of daily goods could rise.

Concern arose after reports that truck drivers had been forced to isolate in hotels on the mainland following positive tests.

The Container Transportation Employees General Union said some trucks had been unable make their way back from the mainland, affecting the supply of vegetables and meat to Hong Kong.

An association of vegetable wholesalers said such disruption to supplies would inevitably drive up the price of goods for customers.

In a statement on Sunday evening, a government spokesperson said some truckers were quarantined on the other side of the border after mainland authorities discovered that one driver hadn’t fully reported the places he’d visited.

The spokesperson confirmed that this led to a number of drivers being forced to isolate in hotels. However, the spokesperson said all drivers except those considered to be “close contacts” had since been allowed to return.

The statement did not say how many drivers were affected.

The spokesperson said mainland authorities had adopted flexible arrangements to ensure a stable food supply to Hong Kong.

According to the statement, 20 goods vehicles were waiting to cross the border at Man Kam To as of 9am on Sunday, however all of them were subsequently allowed to cross.

The statement said vegetable supplies at the Cheung Sha Wan wholesale market were normal on Sunday, while the Western Wholesale Market experienced a drop in supply.

However, the spokesperson said overall fresh food supplies remained stable, adding that supplies of chilled pork, poultry and eggs from the mainland also remained at normal levels.