Macau can only lift quarantine for HK arrivals when they also can enter mainland quarantine-free: SSM
Addressing yesterday’s press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, Health Bureau (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou underlined that the Macau government still does not have a timetable as to when its quarantine-free travel arrangements for arrivals from Hong Kong will get off the ground unless the mainland announces the lifting of its quarantine for those arriving from Hong Kong.
Leong reaffirmed that Macau can only lift its quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong when the mainland lifts its quarantine for those arriving from Hong Kong – i.e., the lifting of quarantine will have to be implemented between the three regions of the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau at the same time, as COVID-19 measures carried out in the three regions must be “highly consistent with each other”.
Currently, those traveling between the mainland and Macau do not need to quarantine upon their arrival at either side, and they are merely required to present a nucleic acid test (NAT) certificate confirming a negative COVID-19 result valid for seven days.
Those from Hong Kong must undergo 14 days of hotel quarantine upon their arrival in the mainland or in Macau.
Currently, Hong Kong residents returning from the mainland or Macau can apply online to be exempted from the Hong Kong government’s quarantine requirement – i.e., Return2hk Scheme. In addition, non-Hong Kong residents coming from Guangdong or Macau can also apply to be exempted from Hong Kong’s quarantine requirement – i.e., Come2hk Scheme.
The local government has reaffirmed that Macau has always been carrying out its COVID-19 measures in close coordination with the mainland.
The Hong Kong government has been working over recent months to ensure that its entry, quarantine and various other COVID-19 measures are carried out in coordination with the mainland, in a bid that the mainland authorities lift their mandatory quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong.
The Macau government has repeatedly reaffirmed that it could only lift its quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong when quarantine-free travel arrangements between the mainland and Hong Kong start.
Replying to media questions during yesterday’s press conference, Lei also reaffirmed that if Macau would lift its quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong while the mainland’s quarantine requirement for those arriving from Hong Kong is still in force, the mainland authorities would increase their COVID-19 risk assessment level for Macau, because of which, Leong said, the quarantine-free travel for those arriving in the mainland from Macau “would be affected” – i.e., the mainland would possibly suspend its quarantine-free travel arrangements for arrivals from Macau.
“Consequently, COVID-19 measures in the three regions must be highly consistent with each other, only in which case the quarantine-free travel between Macau and the mainland can continue to be implemented smoothly,” Leong said.
Leong also said that the Macau government’s possible quarantine-free travel arrangements for arrivals from Hong Kong would only be implemented for those in urgent need first, such as those who need to visit patients and those who need to visit their family members or relatives.
Leong also said that if the mainland requires those arriving from Hong Kong to have been fully inoculated against COVID-19 for them be benefit from its quarantine lifting, the Macau government’s quarantine exemption for arrivals from Hong Kong would also only cover those who have been fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus “because COVID-19 measures in the three regions must be consistent with each other”.
Leong also said that the quarantine-free travel between Macau and the mainland would possibly require COVID-19 vaccinations “in the long term”, because quarantine-free travel arrangements between different regions worldwide normally also require the travellers to have been fully inoculated against the novel coronavirus.
Health Bureau (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou addresses yesterday’s press conference about the city’s COVID-19 situation. Photo: GCS
