Photo: Xinhua

People who travel from Hong Kong to Shenzhen and Zhuhai in South China's Guangdong Province are from Friday required to present valid negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test results and undergo a 14-day medical quarantine.

On Thursday night, both Shenzhen and Zhuhai issued statements requiring people entering the cities from neighboring Hong Kong to present valid negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test results issued by a testing institution recognized by the Hong Kong government, stating results will only be considered valid if they were issued within 72 hours of the sample collection date. People traveling from Hong Kong also have to accept a 14-day medical quarantine.

The announcements came as neighboring Hong Kong has been hit by a third wave of the coronavirus this month, recording 63 new cases on Thursday, setting a single-day record.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government issued a statement late on Thursday reminding residents of the new COVID-19 prevention and control measures in Guangdong, and expressing understanding toward the measures.

As the local virus situation has become severe recently, some in Hong Kong may wish to go north to Guangdong, which would unduly burden boundary control points and health quarantine facilities in the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong government said.

Guangdong and Hong Kong have been in discussion in the spirit of joint prevention and control of the virus in both places, the statement read.