The Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) announced in a statement yesterday that since the COVID-19 epidemic situation has stabilised in Macau, the passenger ferry service between Macau’s Inner Harbour and Wanzai in Zhuhai resumes today.
The ferry will depart every 30 minutes, according to the statement, which said that for more information about the operating hours, passengers should contact the ferry company.
The statement urged passengers to gain a clear understanding of the latest COVID-19 border measures between Macau and Zhuhai before boarding the vessel. The bureau reminded passengers that they must present a valid negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test (NAT) result when boarding the ferry.
The statement underlined that the bureau has already requested the ferry operator and cleaning companies to strengthen disinfection and cleaning of public facilities at the terminal and on the ferry. The bureau reminded all passengers to wear facemasks throughout their ferry journey.
The passenger ferry service between the two cities was suspended on September 25 following Macau’s latest COVID-19 wave which started earlier that day with a quarantine hotel security staff Delta variant cluster. The Zhuhai government imposed 14-day mandatory quarantine for arrivals from Macau the next day, which was lifted on Tuesday.
A one-way ferry trip takes five minutes.
No more quarantine in Zhuhai for arrivals from Macau
Now, those entering Zhuhai from Macau must present an NAT certificate confirming a negative COVID-19 result valid for 48 hours – without having to undergo quarantine upon their arrival there.
Those entering Macau from Zhuhai merely have to present an NAT certificate confirming a negative COVID-19 result valid for seven days without having to quarantine upon their arrival here.
Macau has not recorded a new local COVID-19 case for 11 consecutive days after the latest case was confirmed on October 9. Macau’s COVID-19 tally stands at 77, without any fatalities. Macau has a population of about 680,000.
Macau had a total of 12 patients in its latest COVID-19 wave, which the Health Bureau (SSM) has concluded has stabilised, comprising a six-member cluster of quarantine hotel security staff and a six-member renovation worker cluster. While the security staff started on September 25, the renovation worker cluster began on October 4.
The Macau Health Bureau said earlier this week that the Zhuhai government had decided to lift its 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement for arrivals from Macau after considering that Macau had had no local COVID-19 case that posed a risk to the community for at least 14 days.
The first three patients of the six-member COVID-19 renovation worker cluster were diagnosed with the disease on October 4, while the fourth patient of the cluster was confirmed as having been infected with COVID-19 the next day. Macau’s latest two COVID-19 patients, the last two patients of the cluster, were diagnosed with the disease on October 9. The Health Bureau has concluded that the latest two COVID-19 patients, Macau’s 76th and 77th cases, posed on COVID-19 risk to the community as they had already been taken into quarantine before they tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Normally, i.e., before Macau’s latest COVID-19 wave which began late last month, the negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test (NAT) result for those travelling between Macau and Zhuhai – i.e., both directions – without having to undergo quarantine was valid for seven days.
Both the security staff cluster involving two medical observation quarantine hotels and the renovation worker cluster have been classified as “connected to an imported case” – a local resident from Turkey who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on September 24. He was confirmed as Macau’s 64th COVID-19 case.
Macau’s total of 77 COVID-19 cases now comprises 60 imported cases and 17 cases “connected to imported ones”.
Meanwhile, from Tuesday this week all those departing Macau by air or ferry must present an NAT certificate confirming a negative COVID-19 result valid for 48 hours.
The measure that took effect on Tuesday this week came after the Macau government tightened the validity of the NAT negative result for all departures to just 24 hours on October 6.
This undated handout photo provided by the Marina and Water Bureau (DSAMA) yesterday shows a Macau-Wanzai ferry outside the Wanzai checkpoint in Zhuhai.
