Addressing yesterday’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre press conference, Ma Chio Hong, who heads the Operations and Communications Division of the Public Security Police (PSP), announced that Zhuhai will exempt up to 1,000 Macau residents per day from its 14-day quarantine requirement who need to cross the Macau-Zhuhai border for official purposes, business activities or other special reasons.
According to Ma, those who have been granted the new quarantine waiver by the Zhuhai government can only cross the Macau-Zhuhai border via the Hengqin border checkpoint – which is open 24/7 – or the Macau-Zhuhai checkpoint on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) – which operates between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The new measure starts at 8 a.m. today, Ma said.
Ma read a statement that was issued by the Zhuhai government shortly before yesterday’s press conference and lays out details on how to implement the new measure.
The exemption jointly carried out by the Zhuhai and Macau governments was first announced during Wednesday’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre press conference. The Macau government launched the online application on Thursday for the new measure, before suspending the process on Sunday after receiving a large number of applications.
Ma quoted the statement as saying that the Zhuhai government provides 1,000 places per day for Macau applicants. The Macau government will first assess and approve the applications, after which the Zhuhai government will “confirm” the list that the former has approved, Ma said. The quarantine waiver is valid for seven days each time.
According to the Zhuhai government’s statement, applicants must confirm that they have not been in any regions other than Macau and the mainland (i.e. Hong Kong, Taiwan or a foreign country) within the past 14 days before their intended entry into Zhuhai. Those who have been granted the waiver must have no fever, cough or other respiratory symptoms and show their green Macau Health Code and valid nucleic acid test (NAT) certificate when crossing the Macau-Zhuhai border, Ma quoted the statement as saying. A valid NAT certificate refers to either a certificate proving that the holder has tested negative for COVID-19 within the past seven days, or a certificate indicating that he or she had their sample collected at least 24 hours previously.
In addition, those who have been granted the quarantine exemption must present a self-filled health declaration e-form to mainland customs officers when crossing the border, according to the Zhuhai government’s statement.
No travel allowed beyond Zhuhai
Those who have entered Zhuhai under the quarantine waiver are not allowed to travel beyond the city, and those who travel to any other cities in Guangdong province “may” be required by the respective local governments to undergo “concentrated” quarantine there, Ma quoted the statement as saying, adding that the Zhuhai government will cancel the quarantine exemption of anyone who has left the city and travelled to other Guangdong cities.
When announcing the new exemption measure during Wednesday’s press conference, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U had said that the Macau government aimed for the new measure to allow Macau residents who have been granted the quarantine exemption by Zhuhai to travel within Guangdong during the exemption period.
7,611 applications
Meanwhile, Alvis Lo Iek Long, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, said during yesterday’s press conference that the local government received 7,611 applications from Thursday – when the application process was launched – to Saturday from residents for the Zhuhai government’s new exemption measure. Pointing out that the waiver for the first 1,000 Macau residents will only start today, Lo confirmed that the Macau government will not resume accepting applications for the quarantine exemption, at least today, underlining that it will announce when it will resume accepting applications at least a day in advance.
Lo also pointed out that Macau has not confirmed a new COVID-19 case for 68 consecutive days. All of Macau’s 45 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospital.
National security bus tour
Meanwhile, Ma also revealed during yesterday’s press conference that the police have finished investigating the case in which a local civic group chartered an open-top bus on June 5 to support the central authorities’ drafting of a national security law for Hong Kong, and transferred it to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for the group’s alleged violation of the assembly and demonstration law.
Ma pointed out that the participants were holding placards during the group’s bus parade on June 5, which travelled from the Macau Science Centre (MSC) in Nape to Macau Tower. Ma said that the group had not notified the police of the activity in advance, adding that the police only knew of the event from media reports afterwards.
Ma said that therefore the police had decided to launch an investigation into the case. After investigating, the police found that the participants took group photos before the activity started, and they were holding placards, Ma said, adding that the police have concluded that the group had violated the assembly and demonstration law.
Ma also said that the police were still investigating an event on June 6 in which a number of taxi drivers were showing placards in support of the central authorities’ drafting of the national security law for Hong Kong near the taxi rank at the Macau checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), to determine whether they had violated the assembly and demonstration law.
Quarantine on travellers who have been in high-risk areas in Beijing
Meanwhile, the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou said during yesterday’s press conference that upon arrival in Macau the Macau Health Code of travellers who have been in Beijing within the past 14 days will indicate yellow. Upon arrival in Macau, Health Bureau (SSM) officials will assess the travellers’ health status, Leong said, adding that those who have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in high-risk areas in Beijing, including the Xinfadi Wholesale Market of Farm Products in Fengtai District, will now have to undergo 14 days of quarantine and medical observation in one of the government’s “quarantine hotels”.
Leong said concerning those who have not been in high-risk areas in Beijing, Health Bureau officials will regularly call them to understand their latest health status during their stay in Macau.
Tours for Macau residents
Meanwhile, Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Deputy Director Cheng Wai Tong announced during yesterday’s press conference that the office has launched a programme for local residents to join tour groups organised by local travel agencies to travel around the city, with the aim of helping the local tourism industry which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The programme aims to maintain the livelihoods of local travel agencies, tour guides, coach drivers and other related staff in the travel industry while also benefiting local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the community, Cheng said, adding that Macau residents will be able to understand their city better by participating in the programme.
According to Cheng, interested residents can register from tomorrow with local travel agencies which have joined the programme, which will start next Monday.
Each Macau resident will receive a subsidy of 280 patacas from the government’s Macau Foundation (FM) each time they join a tour group, Cheng said, adding that they can receive a subsidy of up to 560 patacas for the programme, meaning that they can join the programme twice thanks to the government’s subsidy.
