Time to consider resuming cross-border travel: expert

An infectious disease expert says Hong Kong will be able to start talks on resuming cross-border travel with the mainland if the territory manages to go 28 days with no untraceable local Covid-19 infections.

This comes as authorities re-test a four-year-old boy to see whether he is a “false positive” case.

Over the weekend, officials said the boy had an untraceable local infection. But he reportedly tested negative for the virus when he was taken into hospital.

Hong Kong would have gone 26 days with no cases of unknown source if it wasn’t for the boy’s suspected infection.

On an RTHK radio show, respiratory disease doctor Leung Chi-chiu said Hong Kong could soon achieve its “zero untraceable infections” goal, and while a few transmission chains might still remain, these shouldn’t pose a problem if contact-tracing is done well.

He also noted that the linked infections recorded in the past two weeks were all found while the patients were in quarantine, and there had been no risk of them spreading the virus in the community.

While authorities still have to beware of the risks posed by imported infections – especially with a rise in cases in Taiwan – Leung said officials can consider starting talks with the mainland on reviving cross-border travel.

But mainland authorities might decide to observe the situation for an additional 14 days, he said.

Leung also said officials have to check on a confirmed case in Shanghai involving a 43-year-old man who flew there from Hong Kong.

The man, who had recovered after catching Covid in Italy in February, arrived in the SAR last month. He spent 21 days in a quarantine hotel and then several days in a Tin Shui Wai hotel before flying to Shanghai on May 16.

Leung said it was still unclear whether the man had tested positive because some residue virus remained in his body, or if he was reinfected in Italy or Hong Kong.