The Macau government has extended its hotel quarantine period for arrivals from India, Pakistan and the Philippines from 21 days to 28 days.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced the stricter quarantine measure for arrivals from the three countries, which took effect at 00:00 today, in a statement yesterday.
From now on, those who have been to a foreign country other than India, Pakistan and the Philippines within 21 days prior to their entry into Macau must undergo 21 days of quarantine and medical observation at one of the government’s “quarantine hotels” upon their arrival here. After completing the 21-day quarantine, they are then required to practise seven days of “self-health management”.
Foreign nationals without a Macau ID card have, in general, been barred from entering Macau since March last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of where they have been before their intended entry into Macau.
Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan residents who have been to a foreign country within 21 days prior to their intended entry into Macau are also barred from entering the city. Macau residents, including foreign nationals holding a Macau ID card, are allowed to return to Macau from a foreign country, but have to undergo the 21-day hotel quarantine plus the seven-day “self-health management”.
Under the new measure which took effect at 00:00 today, those who have been to India, Pakistan or the Philippines within 28 days prior to their entry into Macau must undergo 28 days of quarantine and medical observation at one of the government’s “quarantine hotels” upon their arrival here. After completing the 28-day quarantine, according to yesterday’s statement, they will not need to undergo “self-health management”.
After the new measure for the three countries comes into effect today, Macau’s hotel quarantine period for arrivals from all other foreign countries remains unchanged at 21 days.
Yesterday’s statement by the centre said that the Macau government has decided to toughen its quarantine requirement for arrivals from the three countries “due to latest development of these countries’ COVID-19 epidemic situations”.
Bell’s palsy patient in Macau after COVID-19 jab
Meanwhile, the centre announced in a statement on Friday that a man who received a BioNTech jab last month has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy (a type of facial paralysis). According to the statement, the 27-year-old patient was diagnosed with the rare condition on Wednesday after seeking treatment at the private Kiang Wu Hospital. The statement said that the man received his BioNTech jab at the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre after passing a health assessment on March 20. The patient was discharged from hospital on Thursday and was recovering, the statement said.
According to the statement, the Health Bureau (SSM) has launched an investigation to find out whether the patient’s condition has anything to do with his vaccination last month.
Meanwhile, the centre announced in a statement that as of 4 p.m. yesterday, 81,893 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in Macau, resulting in 339 minor adverse events, only two of which have been classified as serious (including the Bell’s palsy patient), or 0.4 percent of all vaccinations.
Macau has recorded 49 COVID-19 cases since January 22 last year, 47 of which have been classified as imported, while two cases have been classified as “connected to imported cases”. Among the 49 patients, 48 have been cured and discharged from hospital, and no fatalities have been reported in Macau.
This file photo taken in February shows the local airport which until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic provided daily flights to the Philippines but no passenger flights to India and Pakistan. Photo: Tony Wong
