Hong Kong, Apr 28 (IANS): Hong Kong will ease quarantine restrictions on travellers from mainland China, providing exemptions for school students crossing the border daily and any arrivals deemed economically important, the citys health chief said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press briefing, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said that the relaxed measures were because the city government was satisfied that the COVID-19 crisis on the mainland was largely under control, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper.

Despite those adjustments, Chan also announced the extension of immigration restrictions for general visitors by one month to June 7, and that the requirement for visitors to report their health and travel history would be extended to August 31.

But the exact date of the change was yet to be confirmed.

The city recorded no new coronavirus cases for a third day in a row on Tuesday.

It was the fifth time in nine days there were no new infections, with the total number of cases now at 1,037.

At the same briefing, Deputy Secretary for Food and Health Howard Chan said the government would consult the relevant sectors on the criteria and procedures of applying for exemptions from quarantine measures, and would make an announcement as soon as possible.

The city government previously said social-distancing measures, including a ban on most gatherings of more than four people, would stay in place until at least May 7, reports the SCMP newspaper.

Hong Kong currently denies entry to any residents of Hubei province, where the pandemic oriinated in its capital Wuhan last December, and non-Hong Kong residents who have visited the province in the previous 14 days.

No non-city residents are allowed into Hong Kong from overseas by plane.