Some medical experts on Wednesday said Hong Kong should consider requiring mainland visitors to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to be allowed into the city once quarantine-free travel resumes.

Beijing announced on Tuesday that it will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine from January 8, and it is widely expected that the Hong Kong-mainland border will soon fully reopen.

On an RTHK programme, University of Hong Kong microbiologist Ho Pak-leung said the SAR government should consider giving priority to visitors who are fully vaccinated.

“If we can require mainland visitors to be triple-jabbed when the border first opens, it’s the safest way. If they haven’t had three shots, say, if they have had two, we can ask them to buy travel medical insurance when they are in Hong Kong. If they get seriously ill and have to stay in hospital, they can seek treatment from private doctors,” he said.

Respiratory medicine specialist Leung Chi-chiu told the same programme that visitors should be at least double-jabbed.

“Even if you are unvaccinated, you just need around a month [to receive two shots]. So, there may be a slight delay before you can cross the border. But it will reduce the risk, and will not indirectly increase the burden on the healthcare system on both sides,” he said.