Health officials are urging anyone who works or studies in Macao but lives in mainland China to strengthen their Covid-19 protection measures by wearing a KN95 facemask when out and about.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre yesterday also advised self-testing for Covid-19 with a rapid antigen test (RAT) kit every day before leaving home.
The Centre said that border crossers who work or study in Macao but live in mainland China should comply with strengthened protection measures in the wake of “the latest Covid-19 developments” in the cities of Zhuhai and Zhongshan.
Tens of thousands of non-resident workers (NRW) and local residents, including cross-border students and teachers as well as others working in Macao, have their homes in Zhuhai, and regularly commute between the two cities. A small percentage of Macao-Zhuhai daily border crossers even live in Tanzhou town of Zhongshan city.
According to the Centre, regular border crossers should wear a KN95 facemask or one of a similar standard when riding a public bus, visiting venues or attending activities that involve crowd gatherings.
Facemasks should fully cover both the mouth and nose.
In addition, regular border crossers should always only travel between their homes, workplaces, and Covid-19 nucleic acid test sampling stations, without visiting other venues unnecessarily, the Centre said, adding that they should also avoid visiting any crowded venues.
The Centre also said that smokers should always choose “quiet” locations to smoke when out and about, adding that they should not smoke while walking.
Health officials also urged those who work or study in Macao but live in mainland China to self-test for Covid-19 with a RAT kit and upload their negative RAT result onto the Health Bureau’s platform every day before leaving home.
While the Education and Youth Development Bureau will provide cross-border schoolchildren with free RAT kits, higher education students will have to buy their own.
Employers are required to provide their cross-border staff members with free RAT kits, The Macau Post Daily reported.
