China, Hong Kong resume high-speed rail link after 3 years of COVID curbs
After Beijing removed the arrivals quarantine a week earlier, China on Sunday restored high-speed rail service between Hong Kong and the mainland for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak began.
The re-opening occurs in the middle of a widespread surge of infections and one day after officials reported that almost 60,000 COVID patients had passed away in hospitals as a result of last month’s dramatic U-turn on the “zero-COVID” policy following unprecedented demonstrations.
Despite the infections, some passengers expressed joy and relief at the prospect of being able to return to their hometowns with greater ease in time for the upcoming Lunar New Year.
“Mang Lee, 33, who was among many going through border checks at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon station before boarding trains, said, “The restart of the high-speed railway has made it very simple for us and has brought us closer to home.”
Due to the pandemic, it has been difficult to enter China for the past three years in any form, “Meng, who hails from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, was added. “For a very long time, I was unable to return home.
