Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Thursday that the city is now ready to test returns en masse as she has ensured the city has enough manpower and capacity after a meeting with Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu yesterday.

The government has also arranged transport and anti-pandemic bags for inbound travelers, Lam added.

She continued that authorities would take cautions when contacting the returnees, sending them straight to designated quarantine hotels after conducting PCR tests for them.

The nine countries whose flights ban will be lifted are Australia, Canada, the US, the UK, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Nepal.

According to the airport website, as of Thursday afternoon, three flights will arrive in Hong Kong from Manila – the soonest one at 7.55am – and one from London.

Meanwhile, Lam added that the fifth pandemic wave has affected citizens and businesses in many ways, and she won't tighten the Covid curbs causally anymore. Instead, she hoped to relax the measures gradually as planned.

Lam said although Hong Kong and China have different healthcare policies and administrations, people's lives are always the top priority.