NAT validity for Macau-Guangdong travellers back to 7 days
Addressing yesterday’s press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) Deputy Director Kong Chi Meng announced that the city’s non-tertiary education institutions, namely schools and kindergartens, will start their new academic year on September 1 (next Wednesday) as scheduled, while higher education institutions can resume in-class teaching from September 6, provided that Macau’s COVID-19 situation “does not have any major changes”.
Kong said that his bureau has made the decision after assessments and discussions with the Health Bureau (SSM).
“The Education and Youth Development Bureau has been paying constant close attention to COVID-19 prevention and control measures for the upcoming new academic year, because of which it has been maintaining close communication with the Health Bureau in dynamically assessing the local and mainland’s latest COVID-19 developments,” Kong said.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement yesterday afternoon that from tomorrow the negative nucleic acid test (NAT) result requirement for Guangdong-Macau travellers will return to seven days from just 48 hours.
Normally, Macau’s non-tertiary education institutions start their new school year in early September.
This year, some of the city’s higher education institutions have already started their new academic year this month, such as the public University of Macau (UM) which started its new 2021/22 academic year last week.
Kong pointed out yesterday that that his bureau announced a provisional plan earlier this month for COVID-19 arrangements concerning the upcoming new academic year, according to which non-tertiary education students, teachers and other school staff must return to Macau at least 14 days before the start of classes. Cross-border students, teachers and other school staff must return to their normal residence, namely Zhuhai or Zhongshan, at least 14 days before the start of school in Macau. Similarly, higher education students, teachers and other staff members must return to Macau, Zhuhai or Zhongshan at least 14 days prior to resuming classes or work in Macau.
Kong noted that his bureau has asked the city’s higher education institutions and schools how many of their students, teachers and other staff members have travelled outside Macau during their summer holiday.
The Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) said last week that “many” local students and teachers had been visiting different areas in the mainland or had returned to their respective hometowns there during the ongoing summer holiday.
Kong said yesterday most of the local students and teachers who had travelled to different areas in the mainland have now returned to their normal residence, namely Macau, Zhuhai or Zhongshan.
In addition, Kong noted that mainland students enrolled in Macau’s higher education institutions who have returned to their respective hometowns have been returning to Macau from various areas in the mainland.
Kong pointed out that the upcoming start of the new academic year will be an “important activity” in the city’s ongoing process to return to normality following the confirmation of a Delta variant four-member family cluster early this month, because of which, Kong said, the government will have to carry out stricter measures for the upcoming start of the new academic year.
‘Higher standards’
Consequently, Kong said, his bureau and the Health Bureau have decided to carry out COVID-19 prevention measures “with higher standards” for the start of the new academic year, because of which his bureau has now amended certain rules in its plan for COVID-19 arrangements concerning the upcoming new academic year that was announced by his bureau earlier this month.
According to the original version of the plan that was announced by the Education and Youth Development Bureau on August 13, non-tertiary and higher education students, teachers and other staff members returning from outside Guangdong after August 6 would have had to undergo a one-off COVID-19 nucleic acid test (NAT) within five days before the start of classes.
According to the amended stricter version of the plan, Kong said yesterday, students, teachers and other staff members who have visited any regions outside Macau, Zhuhai or Zhongshan after August 6 must undergo a one-off nucleic acid test within five days before the start of classes. In addition, according to Kong, students, teachers and other staff members whose family members living with them have visited any places outside Macau, Zhuhai or Zhongshan after August 6 will also be subject to the requirement to undergo the one-off COVID-19 test within five days before the start of classes.
According to Kong, the students, teachers and other staff members of non-tertiary and higher education institutions subject to the free one-off test will have to book a test at one of the city’s six regular NAT stations on a specific appointment system for them. Those from the non-tertiary education sector will have to undergo the one-off test between this Friday and next Tuesday, while those from the higher education sector will have to undergo the test between Wednesday next week and September 5, Kong said.
According to Kong, the negative results of the free one-off COVID-19 tests cannot be used for crossing the Macau-mainland border – i.e. the results will not be displayed on their Macau Health Code.
According to Kong, cross-border students and teachers with a valid negative NAT result used for crossing the Macau-Zhuhai border will not need to undergo the required one-off test.
Macau’s six regular NAT stations are the Taipa Ferry Terminal testing station, the Macau Forum testing station, the station at the private Kiang Wu Hospital, the station at the University Hospital run by the private Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), the station at the Workers Stadium next to the Barrier Gate border checkpoint, and the station at the Macau-side checkpoint zone of the mainland-Macau joint border checkpoint in Hengqin.
According to Kong, those failing to undergo the required one-off test within the required period must pay for a test themselves before being allowed to return to school or campus.
Macau has not recorded a new local COVID-19 case for 20 consecutive days after the Delta variant family cluster was confirmed on August 3.
Meanwhile, the government’s next round of facemask sales will start tomorrow.
Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) Deputy Director Kong Chi Meng addresses yesterday’s press conference about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Photo: GCS
