The validity of the negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test (NAT) result for those entering Macau from Guangdong has been further raised to 72 hours from 48 hours, which took effect at 00:00 today.
The measure was announced by Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre in a statement yesterday.
Today’s commencement of the relaxed NAT validity for arrivals from Guangdong came after their NAT validity was increased to 48 hours from just 24 hours on Wednesday last week.
Before the middle of January this year, the negative NAT result for those entering Macau from Guangdong was valid for seven days. However, their NAT validity was first tightened to 48 hours in the middle of January this year, and was further shortened to just 24 hours a few days later, after the detection of new local COVID-19 cases in Zhongshan and Zhuhai at that time.
The NAT validity for those entering Macau from Guangdong was again raised to 48 hours at the end of January, after Zhongshan and Zhuhai’s COVID-19 situation had stabilised.
However, the NAT validity for those entering Macau from Guangdong was again shortened to just 24 hours from 48 hours around the middle of last month, after Zhuhai saw a new wave of COVID-19 transmissions at that time.
Zhuhai’s latest local COVID-19 case was reported early this month, after which the Macau government said that the NAT validity for those entering Macau from Guangdong could be again raised to 48 hours from just 24 hours if Zhuhai has zero new local COVID-19 cases for at least seven days. However, two weeks ago the Macau government decided not to relax the then 24-hour NAT validity for arrivals from Guangdong, after the detection of new local COVID-19 cases in the provincial capital of Guangzhou at that time.
As Guangzhou’s COVID-19 situation had not appeared to deteriorate, the Macau government first relaxed the NAT validity for arrivals from Guangdong to 48 hours on Wednesday last week, before further relaxing it to 72 hours today.
Yesterday’s statement said that the Macau government has decided to raise the NAT validity for those entering Macau from Guangdong to 72 hours after considering the “neighbouring regions’ latest COVID-19 developments”.
Yesterday’s statement also noted that non-Macau residents failing to present a valid NAT certificate will be refused entry, while Macau residents failing to display such a certificate must immediately undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test.
The statement also noted that the validity of the negative NAT result for those entering Guangdong from Macau will remain unchanged at seven days.
NAT fees for those undergoing hotel quarantine
Meanwhile, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement on Saturday that from May 8 all those departing for Macau who are required to undergo hotel quarantine upon arrival here must pay for all COVID-19 nucleic acid tests (NATs) that are required of them during their hotel quarantine period.
Currently, only Macau residents do not need to pay for their first-time stay for COVID-19 medical observation at quarantine hotels after returning to Macau. However, only those meeting certain criteria are eligible for the exemption from the payment.
Currently, those arriving in Macau from Hong Kong, Taiwan or foreign countries must undergo 14 days of hotel quarantine, while those arriving from areas affected by COVID-19 in the mainland are required to undergo hotel quarantine for a period of between 7 and 14 days.
Saturday’s statement said that the new measure, which will take effect at 00:00 on May 8, aims to enable the government to make good use of its financial resources.
The statement noted that nucleic acid tests carried out for those undergoing hotel quarantine are currently conducted by a private testing institution commissioned by the Health Bureau (SSM). The statement said that as staff members of the testing institution have to collect swabs on-site from those undergoing hotel quarantine, each nucleic acid test costs 250 patacas.
The statement said that those arriving from Hong Kong, Taiwan or foreign countries, who are required to undergo eight nucleic acid tests during their hotel quarantine period, will have to pay 2,000 patacas from May 8 when the new measure takes effect, while those arriving from areas affected by COVID-19 in the mainland, who are required to undergo five tests during their quarantine period, will have to pay 1,250 patacas.
The statement said that the government decided to charge quarantinees for the nucleic acid tests because it should be the testees who pay for the service, not the government, as it was their own decision to travel outside Macau.
This photo provided by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) yesterday shows visitors and residents walking near the Ruins of St. Paul’s UNESCO World Heritage landmark at the weekend.
