The Macau government has reduced the number of days of mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals from 22 “extremely high-risk” COVID-19 countries from 28 days to 21 days, effective from today.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced the measure, which took effect at 00:00 today, in a statement last night.
The 22 “extremely high-risk” COVID-19 countries comprise Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, Eswatini, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turkey, the United States, and Zimbabwe.
The required hotel quarantine period for arrivals from other foreign countries remains unchanged at 21 days.
Yesterday’s announcement means that all those arriving in Macau from foreign countries must undergo 21 days of hotel quarantine.
However, according to last night’s statement, those flying to Macau from any of the 22 “extremely high-risk” countries will continue to be subject to the Macau government’s particularly strict COVID-19 testing requirements.
Last night’s statement noted that before boarding either a direct flight to Macau or the first leg of a connecting flight to the city, those from any of the 22 “extremely high-risk countries” must present a nucleic acid test (NAT) certificate confirming negative COVID-19 results of three consecutive tests carried out within five days prior to their intended departure en route to Macau, and the three tests must each be carried out at least 24 hours apart.
Those arriving in Macau from other foreign countries must present an NAT certificate confirming a negative COVID-19 result valid for 48 hours prior to boarding their flight.
Last night’s statement also said that the new measure that shortens the hotel quarantine period for arrivals from any of the 22 countries also applies to those who have already started their hotel quarantine in Macau before the measure takes effect today.
Last night’s statement merely said that the Macau government has decided to shorten the hotel quarantine period “based on the latest COVID-19 epidemiological information”.
Observers note that the shortened hotel quarantine is based on the latest findings of research studies worldwide indicating that the Omicron variant has a relatively short incubation period.
NAT validity for HK arrivals tightened to 24 hours again
Meanwhile, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in another statement last night that the Macau government will tighten the validity of the negative COVID-19 NAT result for arrivals from Hong Kong to just 24 hours from 72 hours. The tightened NAT validity will take effect at 1 a.m. on Thursday.
The statement said that non-Macau residents failing to present the required NAT certificate will be refused entry.
The statement merely said that the Macau government has decided to tighten the NAT validity for those arriving in Macau from Hong Kong after considering the neighbouring city’s “current COVID-19 situation”.
The Macau government relaxed the NAT validity for arrivals from Hong Kong to 72 hours from just 24 hours in November last year.
Last night’s statement noted that the Macau government’s 14-day hotel quarantine requirement for Hong Kong arrivals remains unchanged.
Last night’s statement also noted that the Macau government’s other current special COVID-19 border measure for Hong Kong arrivals also remains unchanged, according to which all those arriving in Macau from Hong Kong are only allowed to enter the mainland from Macau at least seven days after completing their required 14-day hotel quarantine upon their arrival in Macau.
NAT validity for Zhuhai arrivals relaxed to 48 hours
Meanwhile, the validity of the negative NAT result for those entering Macau from Zhuhai has been relaxed to 48 hours from just 24 hours, which took effect on Saturday.
The relaxed NAT validity came after Zhuhai’s Omicron wave, which started at the middle of this month, has now, according to health officials there, “basically ended”.
The adjacent city of Zhuhai had reported a total of 39 COVID-19 positive cases, including three asymptomatic cases, after having not recorded a new local COVID-19 case for over a week.
Most of the COVID-19 patients live in Nanping (南屏) town, which only lies a few kilometres northwest of Macau.
The validity of the negative COVID-19 NAT result for those entering Zhuhai from Macau remains unchanged at seven days.
The Macau government has lifted its hotel quarantine requirement for arrivals from Nanping
Zhongshan had reported a total of three COVID-19 positive cases in Tanzhou (坦洲) town during its novel coronavirus wave, which started shortly before the middle of this month. Zhongshan lifted all its COVID-19 special restrictions last week.
After Zhongshan and Zhuhai detected new local COVID-19 cases, Macau first tightened the NAT validity for those entering Macau from Zhuhai to 48 hours, and shortly afterwards further shortened it to just 24 hours at the middle of this month. Previously, the negative NAT result for those entering Macau from Zhuhai was valid for seven days.
Student returning from Switzerland tests positive for COVID-19
Meanwhile, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement yesterday that a 19-year-old local woman who returned to Macau from Switzerland on Saturday has tested positive for COVID-19.
The centre has classified the case as imported and asymptomatic, because of which it has not been added to Macau’s novel coronavirus tally, which therefore remains at 79.
According to the statement, the young woman received her first and second BioNTech mRNA jab in Macau in July and August respectively, before she went to study in Switzerland.
The woman had travelled to various countries in Europe before returning to Macau from Switzerland, the statement said.
According to the statement, the woman tested negative for COVID-19 in a nucleic acid test (NAT) in Switzerland on Thursday, before flying to Singapore from Zurich. She took a connecting flight from Singapore to Macau on Saturday where she tested positive for the novel coronavirus upon arrival.
The woman has been transferred to the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane.
Tests & jabs to continue during CNY
Meanwhile, Macau’s various regular NAT stations will remain open during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday period. In addition, the city’s COVID-19 vaccination service will also remain available during the CNY period. However, some of the inoculation facilities will close during the period.
Detailed information on service hours of regular NAT stations and COVID-19 vaccination facilities during the CNY holiday period can be checked on: https://www.gov.mo/zh-hant/news/867306/ in Chinese and https://www.gov.mo/pt/noticias/591447/ in Portuguese.
