Hotel quarantine in Hong Kong could end by November, ahead of a summit of global bankers and the Hong Kong Sevens international rugby competition in November.

The news came as Hong Kong International Airport conducted a trial run of a major surge in passenger arrivals, in one of the clearest signs yet the finance hub could soon further relax Covid curbs.

The Chinese special administrative region’s Chief Executive John Lee is leaning toward scrapping hotel quarantine before the November events to signal Hong Kong is back in business, despite the objections of some in his administration.

Lo Chung-mau, Health Secretary, is among those who want to tighten restrictions as cases surge in the hope that suppressing cases will lead to the reopening of the mainland border.

The momentum is on the side of ending quarantine on the international border over resuming unimpeded travel with the mainland, one of the people said, as many in the government view public opinion in favour of opening to boost the economy.

A final decision will ultimately hinge on the daily case count, the number of fatalities and public perception, a source said.

In a statement, a Hong Kong government spokesman said there was “no disagreement” in the administration regarding the approach on hotel quarantine. The government would “continue to adjust anti-epidemic measures as appropriate according to the epidemic developments and analyses of scientific data”, he said.

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