Speaking on a radio program on Saturday, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Tsang expected the demand for quarantine-free cross-border travel would outnumber the limited daily quota and said the allocation would gradually increase if nothing went wrong.

He also said he understands that citizens want an increased daily quota but stressed that the government cannot reopen the border for large crowds at once, and the arrangement must not pose a risk to the mainland in terms of the pandemic.

He noted that it is the government's goal to reopen the border for each and every citizen, adding that they must discuss with mainland health experts before setting the daily quota.

Tsang pointed out that Hong Kong now has the conditions to reopen the border with the mainland, and the governments on both sides are currently mulling over some details to finalize the arrangement. He told citizens to expect good news very soon.

When asked if the government will allocate a quota for citizens who need to visit sick families, Tsang only said the government will factor in demands from different sectors.

On the other hand, the government issued a release on Saturday and said they are now working hard to finalize arrangements for the border reopening. The government will also fully consider the situation before allocating the daily quota.