Anyone travelling by air from the mainland must present a nucleic acid test (NAT) certificate confirming that they have tested negative for Covid-19 within the past 48 hours when boarding a Macao-bound plane, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre has announced.
The new ruling marks a change from the seven-day validity requirement which had been in force until yesterday.
The centre said that anyone failing to present the required NAT certificate will be barred from entering Macao.
However, the new measure has a transition period until midnight on Wednesday, during which those holding an NAT certificate confirming a negative Covid-19 result valid for between 48 hours and seven days will be allowed to enter Macao, but will have to undergo a free NAT after landing at the airport.
The Macao government has tightened the validity of the negative NAT result for all air passengers from the mainland in response to the latest Covid-19 developments there.
The National Health Commission (NHC) said yesterday that the current Covid-19 wave in the mainland, which started early last week and was caused by Delta variant transmissions, has spread to at least 11 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.
Over the past week, the Macao government has imposed hotel quarantine on arrivals from certain districts in Beijing as well as certain cities in Gansu, Guizhou, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Xinjiang. The quarantine lasts from t seven to 14 days after the people in question had left the respective districts or cities.
The validity of the negative result for travellers entering Macao from Guangdong, whether from Zhuhai via land border checkpoints or from Shenzhen by ferry – remains unchanged at seven days, without having to quarantine upon their arrival in Macao.
Anyone entering the mainland from Macao, must present a NAT certificate confirming a negative Covid-19 result valid for 48 hours, The Macau Post Daily reported.
