NAT validity for Macau-Guangdong travel could be extended to those who’ve had at least 1 COVID-19 jab
Addressing yesterday’s press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, Tai Wa Hou, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, announced that the Guangdong and Macau governments are planning to extend the current 48-hour validity of the negative nucleic acid test (NAT) result for those travelling between the two regions if they have received at least one COVID-19 jab, as the novel coronavirus epidemic in the provincial capital of Guangzhou has eased.
Tai underlined that the two governments are still discussing “technical” details about how to implement the measure.
Early this month, the Macau government tightened the validity of the negative NAT result for those travelling between Macau and Guangdong without having to undergo quarantine to 48 hours from the previous seven days, in response to the then relatively serious COVID-19 threat to Macau due to the province’s then “somewhat serious” situation of novel coronavirus transmissions, particularly in Guangzhou which was then being hit by transmission of the delta variant.
Early this month, the Macau government imposed its 14-day hotel quarantine on those who had been to Haizhu, Liwan, Nansha, Panyu or Yuexiu districts in Guangzhou, and Chancheng or Nanhai districts in Foshan, within the past 14 days. On Friday last week, the Macau government lifted its quarantine requirement for arrivals from Guangzhou’s Haizhu and Yuexiu districts and Foshan’s Chancheng district.
Since July last year when Guangdong lifted its quarantine requirement for arrivals from Macau, the negative NAT result for those travelling between the two regions had been valid for seven days, prior to early this month.
During yesterday’s press conference, Tai revealed that since Guangzhou’s COVID-19 epidemic has eased, the Guangdong and Macau governments have been discussing whether to extend the current 48-hour validity of the negative NAT result for those travelling between the two regions to those who have been inoculated against COVID-19. Tai said that the two governments have reached a “preliminary” consensus, according to which those travelling between the two places who have received at least one COVID-19 jab could have the validity of their NAT certificate extended.
Tai pledged that the Macau government would announce details about the implementation of the measure once it completes the ongoing discussions on the matter with its Guangdong counterpart.
Guangdong has not recorded a new local COVID-19 case for about a week, while its provincial capital of Guangzhou has not reported a new local case for about 10 days. Guangzhou has reported 153 new local COVID-19 cases, including asymptomatic ones, in the latest wave of COVID-19 transmissions since May 21 when the first new local case was detected.
A reporter yesterday asked why the planned relaxation of the current 48-hour validity of the NAT result for those travelling between Guangdong and Macau would require COVID-19 vaccinations, unlike previously when the travellers only had to present an NAT certificate valid for seven days without the need to be inoculated against COVID-19.
Tai pointed out that the COVID-19 epidemic in Guangzhou had been caused by transmissions of the delta variant, which has a “very short incubation period, very fast transmission speed, and very high viral load”, adding that the observation of the COVID-19 cases in Guangzhou this time has indicated that those infected with the delta variant are more likely to suffer serious conditions than those infected with the original novel coronavirus. Consequently, Tai said, the Macau government would still need to remain vigilant against the COVID-19 threat from Guangdong.
In addition, Tai said that the COVID-19 epidemic in Guangdong “is still not completely over” as a few new local COVID-19 cases were reported in Dongguan and Shenzhen a few days ago. Consequently, Tai said, for the time being it “would not be suitable to return to the previous COVID-19 measures [which were more relaxed] for those travelling between Guangdong and Macau”.
Possibly no need to recalculate 28-day requirement for Macau-HK quarantine-free travel
Meanwhile, Tai also said that if the latest two local COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong do not cause transmissions in the community, the requirement for Hong Kong to have zero new local COVID-19 cases for at least 28 consecutive days would possibly not need to be “recalculated” for the commencement of the quarantine-free travel arrangements between Macau and Hong Kong, details of which were announced during the Macau government’s COVID-19 press conference last Monday.
The Macau government reaffirmed on Thursday that only if Hong Kong has zero new local COVID-19 cases for at least 28 consecutive days could the phased implementation of the quarantine-free travel arrangements between Macau and Hong Kong – with certain COVID-19 prevention requirements in place – get off the ground – i.e. the 28-day requirement would need to be “recalculated”. The reaffirmation came after Hong Kong confirmed another local COVID-19 case on Thursday, a 27-year-old male airport ground-crew member, causing its record of zero local infections for 16 consecutive days to be broken.
Hong Kong reported one more local COVID-19 case on Sunday, a 24-year-old woman who had been in close contact with the 27-year-old man.
During yesterday’s press conference, Tai underlined that the Macau and Hong Kong governments have been constantly discussing “technical” details about how to implement the quarantine-free travel arrangements. Tai noted that Hong Kong has recently reported two new local COVID-19 cases “which were from the same source”, adding that if the two cases have finally been officially classified as “connected to imported cases” and the two cases finally do not cause COVID-19 community transmissions in Hong Kong, the 28-day requirement would possibly not need to be “recalculated”, which means that, he said, Hong Kong would only need to have zero new local COVID-19 cases for at least 28 consecutive days counting from the last local case in Hong Kong which was reported before the 27-year-old case was confirmed on Thursday.
329,495 jabs in Macau
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, 329,495 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered to 229,957 people in Macau, comprising 129,043 who had received their first jab and 100,914 who had received their second jab.
A total of 29 adverse events were reported in the past 24 hours (until 4 p.m. yesterday). The total number of adverse events since the start of the vaccination drive stood at 1,393, or 0.42 percent of the total number of jabs, including four serious cases.
‘One-stop’ formalities at Pac On ferry terminal for airport arrivals
Meanwhile, Health Bureau’s Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou announced during yesterday’s press conference that since Saturday last week all those returning to Macau from Taiwan and foreign countries have been immediately transferred from the airport to an area in the adjacent Taipa Ferry Terminal to complete their arrival formalities and undergo the various COVID-19 measures and tests.
According to Leong, those arriving at the local airport from Taiwan and foreign countries now undergo “one-stop” arrival formalities in the Taipa Ferry Terminal area that has never been used, such as having their ID cards checked, having their sample collected for a nucleic acid test, and having their blood sample collected for a serology test.
Leong said that the arrivals need to wait for the NAT result and serology test result in the area before being transferred to one of the government’s “quarantine hotels”, adding that this new measure aims to reduce arrivals’ waiting time and the number of times they need to be transferred between different venues (such as from the airport to the public hospital for COVID-19 tests), before they are finally transferred to a “quarantine hotel”, with the hope of reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmissions.
Meanwhile, Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) official Lau Fong Chi said during yesterday’s press conference that 1,800 Macau residents, most of them students, were so far known to be planning to return to Macau from Taiwan and overseas during the summer holiday.
Tai Wai Hou (right), one of the three clinical directors of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, speaks during yesterday’s press conference about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, as Health Bureau (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou looks on. Photo: Tony Wong
