The mainland will no longer cap the number of passengers arriving from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions via land ports in Guangdong province, starting from February 6, a circular said.

Released on Friday by the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism - the country's top COVID-19 control task force - the circular said the aim was to further optimize the measures regarding passenger travels between mainland and the two cities, and to make them more convenient.

Starting from February 6, passengers arriving from the cities via land ports in Guangdong province will no longer need to make reservations and group tours will be resumed, it said.

Inbound passengers do not need to provide negative test proof if they haven't traveled overseas over the previous seven days. If they have recently traveled overseas, they will need to provide negative test proof within 48 hours, the circular said.

It said that inbound passengers with abnormal health codes, or those with high body temperatures, will be tested by customs officers, and COVID positive passengers can choose to isolate at home or at a hospital in the mainland.

The circular added that authorities will work to open more ports to handle the influx of passengers and bolster the capacity of passenger transport companies.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region rolled out a major promotional campaign on Thursday as part of its efforts to woo global visitors, businesses and investors to the city and enhance its international image.

The financial hub announced its return to the global stage following the relaxation of COVID-19 measures and quarantine-free cross-border travel with the Chinese mainland.
The Hello Hong Kong global promotional campaign includes 500,000 free airplane tickets, a number of major trade shows and conventions, as well as sports and art events.

Scan the QR code to keep up to date with Guangzhou's COVID-19 updates. [Photo/WeChat account: GZWS411665430]