A resident scans a QR code at an entrance to a supermarket in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province. Photo: Xinhua

Fifty-four percent of respondents to a recent survey in Hong Kong said that they agreed with the Hong Kong government's plan to launch a QR health code system and 53 percent deemed late September the right timing to launch the system.

The QR health code system is intended to help Hong Kong residents commute between the city, the mainland and Macao by helping them get exemptions from 14-day quarantine through mutually recognized nucleic acid testing results.  

According to the results of a survey released on Monday, 32 percent of the respondents think that it is reasonable for the system to provide 3,000-4,000 codes per day for residents in need.   

Thirty-four percent said quarantine exemption policies like the QR health system would help Hong Kong's economy to recover. 

The Global Times learned from the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB), which is in charge of designing the system, that the system is already well-prepared and related authorities in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macao are closely negotiating over the timing of the launch for the system. 

Experts previously reached by the Global Times estimated that the system could be launched by the end of September. 

Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Hong Kong's chief secretary for administration, said that when to launch the system depends on the situation of the local epidemic and the other sides' confidence in Hong Kong, noting that the local epidemic is still not stabilized.  

Hong Kong reported eight new infections on Tuesday with five imported cases. The total infections in the city reached 5,046, according to the Hong Kong government.  

Hong Kong residents have to get a negative result to get the health code. 72 percent of the respondents said they can accept a price under HK$500 for each test.

Hong Kong media have reported that testing in the city costs on average more than HK$1,000 each time, which probably would be the biggest problem that prevents Hong Kong residents from getting a health code. 

The survey was conducted from September 14-17 by the Hong Kong Research Association through phone calls and it covered 1,129 local residents.