Macao yesterday reported 16 new Covid-19 cases involving the community, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced.
The Centre added that as of 6 pm yesterday, Macao had reported 56 Covid-19 cases since Monday last week.
Some of the 56 cases were related to the Cabbie Cluster that started with a 74-year-old taxi driver on Monday last week.
The Centre said that the 16 new Covid-19 carriers or patients detected yesterday comprise 11 females and five males, aged between 14 and 61.
Seven of the 16 cases were detected in the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane or quarantine hotels, while the other nine cases were detected in the community.
The nine cases detected in the community comprised two close contacts, three detected by nucleic acid tests (NATs) carried out in Macao, three confirmed by NAT results reported in Zhuhai, and one detected by a rapid antigen test (RAT). Among these, six have been classified by the SSM as imported from mainland China, and three classified as connected to imported cases.
The 16 Covid-19 carriers or patients comprise eight local residents, six mainlanders, a Hong Kong man, and a female non-resident worker from Vietnam.
The SSM acknowledged on Saturday that as various regions in mainland China are currently being hit by a Covid-19 outbreak, Macao is currently facing “big pressure” in its work on preventing cases being imported from mainland China.
As a result, starting today travellers entering Macao from mainland China who are not required to undergo hotel quarantine upon arrival will be required to comply with stricter NAT and RAT requirements.
Travellers who have visited high-risk Covid-19 areas in mainland China continue to be required to undergo five days of hotel quarantine plus three days of home isolation upon their arrival in Macao.
According to the Centre, travellers who have visited low-risk Covid-19 areas in mainland China are required to display a 24-hour NAT result and a six-hour RAT result upon arrival in Macao.
After arriving in Macao, they are required to undergo four NATs in five days. In addition, they are required to self-test for Covid-19 with an RAT kit every day for five consecutive days.
Travellers who have only visited areas in mainland China where “normalised” Covid-19 prevention and control measures are in force are required to display a 48-hour NAT result and six-hour RAT result upon arrival in Macao, if they enter from all other areas outside Zhuhai.
The Centre said that they are required to undergo a NAT upon arrival in Macao, after which they are required to undergo two NATs, each on the first and second day after arriving here.
In addition, they are also required to self-test for Covid-19 every day for five consecutive days.
According to the Centre, travellers entering from Zhuhai who have only visited areas in mainland China where “normalised” Covid-19 prevention and control measures are in force are required to display a 24-hour NAT result, without the need to display an RAT result.
The Centre said that they are required to undergo two NATs, each on the first and second day after arriving in Macao. In addition, they are also required to self-test for Covid-19 with an RAT kit every day for five consecutive days.
