The police said yesterday that they expect Macau to record 5.5 to 6 million entries and exits at its border checkpoints during the 10-day period between February 9 and 18 in the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) period, at least around the same level recorded in the corresponding period of pre-pandemic 2019, or even 3 percent more than at that time.
The Year of the Dragon begins on Saturday, February 10.
This year’s mainland Spring Festival Golden Week holiday lasts for eight days, running from February 10 to 17.
Lei Tak Fai, who heads the Public Security Police’s (PSP) Public Relations Division, made the remarks during a press briefing at the Barrier Gate checkpoint where he and officials from several other public entities briefed reporters about the local government’s ongoing preparations for tackling the expected high number of visitors during the CNY holiday period.
The entry and exit figures recorded by the Public Security Police, who run the city’s immigration service, comprise local residents, visitors, non-resident workers and non-local students enrolled in Macau.
Lei said that the police are now predicting that Macau will record 5.5 to 6 million entries and exits at its checkpoints between February 9 and 18, representing a daily average of 550,000 to 600,000.
According to the latest available official statistics, Macau’s population stood at 681,300 at the end September last year.
Lei noted that the expected 5.5 to 6 million entries and exits would be around the same as the ones recorded in 2019’s corresponding period.
Lei, however, was quick to add that the number of entries and exits during the upcoming 10-day period could even rise by three percent from the corresponding pre-pandemic period of 2019.
Macau confirmed its first COVID-19 case in January 2020.
Lei also said that the police expect the third day of the Chinese New Year, i.e., next Monday, to see the peak of entries and exits.
According to Lei, the police will arrange for back-office officers to provide support to frontline immigration officers during the CNY holiday period.
Moreover, Lei said that the police will set up mobile command centres at the locations where large-scale CNY festive activities and events are taking place.
Meanwhile, U Chin Keong, a senior officer from the Macau Customs Service, said during yesterday’s press briefing that all customs officers will be on duty during the CNY holiday period as none of them will be allowed to take any leave, with the aim of enabling the customs service to tackle the expected high flow of travellers at border checkpoints.
Officers and officials from several entities such as Lei Tak Fai (centre) from the Public Security Police (PSP), U Chin Keong (third from left) from the Macau Customs Service, Liz Lam Tong Hou (third from right) from the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), and Chao Chon Hong (left) from the Transport Bureau (DSAT) pose for photos before talking to reporters at the Barrier Gate checkpoint yesterday about the government’s work to tackle visitor flows during the CNY period. – Photo: GCS
More casino shuttle-bus trips
Meanwhile, Liz Lam Tong Hou, who heads the Macau Government Tourism Office’s (MGTO) Public Relations Division, told the briefing that the government will work closely with all tourism-related sectors with the aim of ensuring the quality of the city’s tourism services and enabling visitors to have good experience in Macau.
Lam said that the government has also requested the city’s six gaming operators to increase the trip frequency of their shuttle bus services during the CNY period.
Transport Bureau (DSAT) official Chao Chon Hong told the briefing that the government has told the city’s two public bus operators to deploy more of their biggest buses. The two companies will also operate more special express trips during the CNY period, Chao said.
Chao also said that the government has requested the city’s six gaming operators to provide “point-to-point” transport serving the Macau checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB).
