Lawmaker Doreen Kong says it is time for Hong Kong to scrap all its Covid measures, including the vaccine pass and mask-wearing rules, so it can welcome back mainland visitors without any problems. Kong says she welcomes Beijing's decision to end quarantine for arrivals to China from January 8. But she told Vanessa Cheng that Hong Kong must follow the mainland's lead in scrapping pandemic measures, or the return of mainland tourists could be marred by controversies and conflicts:

Medical sector lawmaker David Lam has warned that Beijing's relaxation of quarantine rules should not encourage Hong Kong to drop some of its pandemic measures. He says the SAR must continue to isolate people infected with Covid, and keep its PCR tests for people flying in from overseas. Damon Pang asked Lam if now is even the right time to re-open the border, given Hong Kong is already recording around 20,000 new infections per day:

An industry representative says pharmacies in Hong Kong are running low on paracetamol and some other medicines. But he says people shouldn't worry because alternative products are still available. Vanessa Cheng reports:

Mainlanders have reacted with joy to the news that quarantine for arrivals to the country will end next month, with many rushing to book themselves a holiday. Meanwhile, plenty of people here are excited about a return of mainland tourists. Hailey Yip reports:

A digital platform for global talent to apply to come to Hong Kong is being rolled out on Wednesday, as part of an array of government measures to try to attract new blood to the territory in the midst of a brain drain. The government said it has simplified the vetting process, and the application results will be available within four weeks. Officials said they will also apply for funding from Legco early next year to set up a physical office of the Talents Service Unit, to formulate recruitment strategies. The Chief Secretary said the administration is confident of achieving its target of luring at least 35,000 talented people to the city annually over the next three years. But Lee Quane - Asia regional director for global mobility consultancy, ECA International - told Joanne Wong that the government's target is relatively modest:

The vice-chair of the International Chamber of Commerce-Hong Kong, George Cautherley, has welcomed the setting up of the new online platform for non-local talent. He says it will be good to have a one-stop shop for people interested in working here to get information and apply for admission programmes. But he says to attract sufficient talent, the SAR authorities should change their recruiting standards, for example by adopting a points system instead of a high wage requirement for newcomers. He spoke to Violet Wong:

The government has appointed lawmaker Stephen Wong as head of the Chief Executive's Policy Unit. The new body is designed to help John Lee better understand local, national and international developments. Damon Pang reports:

Researchers at Chinese University say pregnant women in Hong Kong are taking in excessive sodium - at double the level recommended by the World Health Organisation. The university surveyed about 160 women in early pregnancy in 2017 and 2018 and found half of them consumed too much sodium. Ninety-seven percent also did not get enough fibre. Professor Ronald Ma from the university told Vanessa Cheng that unhealthy diets can have long-term effects on infants:

Thousands of people in New York State are digging their way out of more than a metre of snow that fell during a deadly Christmas blizzard across the northeast of the US. At least 60 people are known to have died – half of them in New York. In the worst-hit city, Buffalo, military police are being deployed to enforce a driving ban so snowploughs can clear the roads. RTHK’s Washington correspondent Barry Wood told Vicky Wong about the impact of the deadly storms: