The Transport Department (TD) said today (July 27) that in response to the latest developments of the COVID-19, the governments of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong have taken anti-epidemic measures recently under the co-operation mechanism on joint prevention and control of COVID-19. The TD has also been in close liaison with the cross-boundary goods vehicles trade to ensure its co-operation and compliance with the relevant arrangements.
 
     At present, Guangdong Province has strengthened the entry management measures for cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers entering Guangdong. If a cross-boundary goods vehicle driver resides in a building reported as having a confirmed COVID-19 case in the past 14 days (for the details of buildings, please refer to the COVID-19 thematic website at www.coronavirus.gov.hk), his exemption from quarantine requirement on entering the Mainland will be temporarily suspended until 14 days after the announcement of the last confirmed case in that building. During the suspension of the driver's eligibility for quarantine exemption, the Mainland's port authorities will not conduct nucleic acid testing for him. The driver concerned must wait until his eligibility for quarantine exemption is restored (i.e. on the 15th day or later) to go for nucleic acid testing at the port. He will only be allowed to enter the Mainland again after availability of proof of the negative nucleic acid test result uploaded to the relevant anti-epidemic health information code program and completing other necessary quarantine procedures on-site. 
 
     In addition, if a cross-boundary goods vehicle company has a driver who has contracted COVID-19, in accordance with the Mainland's requirements, other cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers of that company should not drive cross-boundary goods vehicles into the Mainland within 14 days from the date of confirmed infection of the driver concerned. Before resuming the driving activity, the affected cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers are required to take a nucleic acid test again and obtain a negative result. Furthermore, all other cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers who have had contact with the infected driver during the period from the date of the infected driver's last nucleic acid test with a negative result to the date of confirmed infection should not drive cross-boundary goods vehicles entering Guangdong for 14 days counted from the date of confirmed infection. Before resuming the driving activity, the affected cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers are required to take a nucleic acid test again and obtain a negative result.
 
     The TD urged the cross-boundary goods vehicle trade to pay attention to the latest announcements by the two governments and comply with the relevant requirements.

Ends/Monday, July 27, 2020
Issued at HKT 19:56

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