The COVID-19 testing requirements for those entering the mainland from Macau within seven days after arriving here from Taiwan or foreign countries will be eased from tomorrow.
Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced the relaxed testing requirements, which will take effect at 00:00 a.m. tomorrow, in a statement on Wednesday.
Until tomorrow, those entering the mainland from Macau within seven days after arriving here from the Taiwan region or foreign countries are required to display a 48-hour negative nucleic acid test (NAT) result. However, those aged three or below are exempted from the NAT requirement.
From tomorrow, according to the statement, such travellers will be required to display a 48-hour negative NAT or rapid antigen test (RAT). Those aged three or below will be exempted from a COVID-19 test.
The new COVID-19 testing requirements will be a minor relaxation from the current requirements because the respective travellers can choose between an NAT result or RAT result from tomorrow, while until tomorrow they can only choose to undergo a nucleic acid test so as to show they are negative for COVID-19.
Since February 6, those entering the mainland from Macau after arriving here from Hong Kong have no longer been required to display any COVID-19 test result, as long as they have not visited Taiwan or foreign countries within the past seven days.
The Macau government cancelled all COVID-19 testing requirements for those arriving from the mainland, Hong Kong or Taiwan on January 8, before scrapping all COVID-19 testing requirements for those arriving from foreign countries on April 1. Consequently, all those arriving in Macau from anywhere in the world are currently not required to display any COVID-19 test result.
Around 10 Arcturus infections: health chief
Meanwhile, Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long told reporters on Wednesday that according to its real-time monitoring data, 0.5 to 0.8 percent of respiratory samples analysed by laboratories in the city over recent weeks have tested positive for COVID-19. Dr Lo also said that around 10 infections with Arcturus, a new Omicron subvariant, have been detected in Macau since earlier this month.
According to Dr Lo, all of the 10 Arcturus infections have been detected from COVID-19 tests carried out in NAT sampling stations.
Currently, seven sampling stations are operating for the city’s fee-based COVID-19 NAT services.
Dr Lo underlined that while Arcturus is very contagious and has a high level of immune evasion, its pathogenicity is relatively weak. Consequently, Dr Lo said, those infected with Arcturus are not likely to suffer from a serious condition.
Dr Lo also urged residents not to believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, warning that COVID-19 infections will continue to occur in the community.
The Macau government’s further easing of its facemask-wearing guidelines take effect today, according to which public bus and Light Rail Transit (LRT) passengers are now only “recommended” to wear a facemask.
From today, however, those entering medical institutions or care homes are still required to wear a facemask.
While previous facemask-wearing guidelines put special emphasis on COVID-19 prevention, the new guidelines aim to tackle all respiratory infectious diseases.
Dr Lo told reporters on Wednesday that in addition to influenza, COVID-19 infections will also occur in the community in the long term, because of which, he said, the new facemask-wearing guidelines are expected to be implemented for a relatively long period of time.
According to the Health Bureau’s COVID-19 website updated yesterday, Macau’s COVID-19 tally stood at 3,517 cases, including 121 fatalities.
Travellers walk in the departure hall of the local airport in Taipa earlier this month. – Photo: Tony Wong
