Addressing yesterday evening’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre press conference, the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou said that two travellers who arrived in Macau yesterday who had been in Beijing within the past 14 days were immediately transferred to 14 days of quarantine and medical observation at one of the government’s “quarantine hotels”, as the local government’s 14-day mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from the nation’s capital started at midday yesterday.
The centre announced in a statement yesterday morning that with effect from noon yesterday all arrivals who have been in Beijing within the past 14 days prior to their entry into Macau must undergo 14 days of quarantine and medical observation at one of the government’s “quarantine hotels”, considering that the capital has raised its COVID-19 emergency response to Level 2 from Level 3.
Currently, two government-designated hotels for quarantine and medical observation purposes are operating, namely the 298-room Pousada Marina Infante hotel in Cotai and a section of the Sheraton Grand hotel in Cotai comprising 500 rooms.
During yesterday’s press conference, Leong pointed out that while there have recently been no flights from Beijing to Macau, a number of travellers who had been in Beijing have recently entered Macau via Macau-Zhuhai land border checkpoints. Leong said that the Health Bureau will call and ask them whether they have been in high-risk areas in the nation’s capital, and continue to follow up on their latest health status during their stay in Macau, or up to 14 days from the date they left Beijing.
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 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Photo: GCS
Applications for Zhuhai quarantine waiver resumed
Meanwhile, Alvis Lo Iek Long, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, announced during yesterday’s press conference that the Macau government will resume accepting applications from local residents today for the Zhuhai government’s new quarantine exemption.
Since Tuesday, the Zhuhai government exempts 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. 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 exemption jointly carried out by the Zhuhai and Macau governments was first announced during last Wednesday’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre press conference. The Macau government launched the online application last Thursday for the new measure, before suspending the process on Sunday after receiving a large number of applications.
Eligible Macau residents have to fill in the online application, which runs from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. daily, five days prior to their intended entry into Zhuhai. The Macau government will first assess and approve the applications, after which the Zhuhai government will “confirm” the list that the former has approved. The quarantine waiver is valid for seven days each time.
Macau residents whose application for the quarantine exemption has been approved will have to undergo a nucleic acid test (NAT) – which has a validity of seven days – two days prior to their intended entry into Zhuhai.
During yesterday’s press conference, Lo pointed out that the local government has received 7,611 applications from residents for the Zhuhai government’s new exemption measure since last Thursday’s launch of the online applications – until the process was suspended on Sunday, adding that 6,667 of them have been approved by the Macau government and its Zhuhai counterpart.
Lo also said that those who successfully submit their applications today will start their seven-day exemption period from next Tuesday – if their applications are approved.
Lo also pointed out that if all the 1,000 places per day have already been booked, the online application system will show a message telling the applicants that the places that day have been fully booked, urging residents to try to apply from 10 a.m. the next day instead of repeatedly attempting to apply before. Lo also revealed that some 700 residents started to use the online application system simultaneously “from the first second” of last Thursday’s launch of the application process.
Meanwhile, Lo also pointed out that Macau has not confirmed a new COVID-19 case for 70 consecutive days. All of Macau’s 45 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospital.
Inês Chan Lou, who heads the Macau Government Tourism Office’s (MGTO) Licensing and Inspection Department, speaks during yesterday’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre press conference at the Health Bureau (SSM). Photo: GCS
Local tours get ready
Meanwhile, Inês Chan Lou, who heads the Licensing and Inspection Department of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), said during yesterday’s press conference that as of yesterday afternoon 3,135 residents have registered for her office’s “Macao Ready Go! Local Tours” programme – a subsidised programme for local residents joining tour groups organised by local travel agencies to travel around the city, which will run from next Monday until September 30. Yesterday was the first day of the registration.
Each Macau resident – both permanent and non-permanent residents – will receive a subsidy of 280 patacas from the government’s Macau Foundation (FM) each time they join a tour group. They can receive a subsidy of up to 560 patacas for the programme so that they can join the programme twice.
The programme comprises 15 itineraries in two categories, namely “Community-based Tours” (six itineraries) and “Leisure Tours” (nine itineraries).
Residents can choose to join a tour group in either of the two categories for first participation in the programme, after which they will have to choose to join a tour group in the other category.
Chan said yesterday that 40 percent of those who had registered for the programme until yesterday afternoon will join a tour group under the “Community-based Tours” category, while the other 60 percent will join a tour group under the “Leisure Tours” category.
Special ferry link sets sail
Meanwhile, Chan also said that 877 Macau residents have registered for the local government’s special ferry service – which started yesterday – for them upon arrival at Hong Kong’s airport from overseas to be able to return to Macau without having to go through quarantine in Hong Kong.
The special ferry link, which will end on July 16, will also be available to foreign nationals who have been stranded in Macau due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so that they can travel to Hong Kong’s airport to return to their home countries.
Chan to move from MGTO to GCS: sources
Meanwhile, informed government sources told The Macau Post Daily yesterday that Chan would soon be appointed as the director of the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS), succeeding Victor Chan Chi Ping.
